Close Combat
by Booter-Freak
Summary: Screw the natural order of things! Give us the Zutara, dammit!
1. A Collision

Hooooooo boy, a Zuko/Katara fic. Those who've heard me rant know I'm an extreme skeptic of Zutara, especially that completely unrealistic fluff that seems to be popping up everywhere in the world of fanfiction. Buuuuuut, at the kind request of others, I'm going to overcome my reluctance to touch the coupling with a ten foot pole, and challenge myself...by writing a quasi-romantic Zutara fic.

Lord help us all.

Before you read, there _is_ a **note** I would like to make. This story is a sequel to my fic "Fire In the Moonlight"–before you read any further, read _that_ first. Also, be sure to read another of my fics, "The Bluest Eyes", since it serves as a back-story for this piece. Trust me, you **_need_** to read both to understand what's going on...talk about a great way to advertise...hehe.

So, read 'em yet? Then lets get going!

* * *

Chapter 1: "A Collision" 

Zuko sat below deck in his uncle's quarters, waiting for the servant to finish cleaning up the dinner plates and leave the room. When the door clicked shut, Zuko opened his eyes to see his uncle sitting contentedly in his chair, picking his teeth. Well, at least one of them had relished their meal. Everything had tasted sour in _his_ mouth. But then, he had been very bitter over the past two days. The humiliation and frustration of losing the Avatar because of the interference of a certain_ waterbender_ was almost more than his pride could bear.

He sat moodily in his chair, thinking spiteful thoughts, as his hand trailed unconsciously to the bandage over his temple, where the waterbender had struck a blow that had temporarily knocked him unconscious. His fingers traced over it several times, indignance growing with each stroke.

"Prince Zuko," his uncle drawled from his chair, one eye cracked open, "Leave your cut alone. You are going to make it bleed again."

"Your nagging is _tiresome_, uncle," Zuko hissed, resentful at being told what to do.

"As is your temper, nephew" his uncle replied lethargically, shutting his eye.

Zuko let out an impatient breath and stood up. He was not in the mood to bicker with his uncle. As he opened the door leading out into the hallway, his uncle called from his chair, "Be sure to shut the door when you leave..."

Zuko slammed it loudly.

Later, he lay on his bed, glaring at the ceiling with an ugly look that parodied the mask he hung on his wall. Zuko was always in a bad mood after missing yet another opportunity to capture the Avatar, but he had been especially angry _this _time for losing him to that stupid girl. She had used waterbending and sneak attacks to get the upper hand on him. And she had _won_.

It wasn't losing the Avatar that upset him so much. That had happened numerous times before, he remembered with a groan. But many of those times had been due to bad luck and circumstance. This time, it was because he had met an opponent who could actually _oppose_ him. And as if to add insult to injury, it had been some Water Tribe peasant! It was almost beyond fathoming, but he had to admit the girl was a decent fighter.

And that _infuriated_ him.

If some Water Tribe country _bumpkin_ could hold her own against him, how weak was_ he_? Zuko's venomous stare upwards intensified. He needed his uncle to teach him more advanced techniques, but it seemed to take forever before the old man deemed him capable of the next set. His uncle said many times that he was being impatient, but dammit, how did he expect him to capture the _Avatar_ on mere basics? When some stupid waterbender had proved a challenge?

Zuko huffed angrily and rolled over, his hand once again tracing over his bandage. Wretched waterbender. He would be _ready_ next time.

* * *

Katara manipulated the water across her brother's skin, drawing out its healing powers. Cuts and bruises lessened as she worked, and she noticed a slight perk in her brother's posture. When she finished, she willed the water back into its container. 

"Thanks, Katara," Sokka said gratefully, as he flexed and checked himself over. "I've been feeling better everyday."

"Yeah," Aang piped up from Appa's head, "That water-healing sure makes a difference!"

"Well, I'll admit I not the best at fighting techniques," she replied, putting supplies away, "but I've always been pretty good when it comes to using water for healing purposes. I used to help out the doctor at our village sometimes when she had to treat the sick and injured."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive, Katara," Aang said, smiling back at her.

"Not nearly as impressive as you sticking up to Prince Ass back there," Sokka cut in with a smirk, "Not the best at fighting techniques, huh? Well, I'd say you've come a long way from splashing around and getting me wet all the time." He crawled over to his favorite corner of Appa's saddle and sat with a huff.

Katara smiled at her brother's compliment, but she knew she had a long way to go. If Sokka hadn't come in when he did, Zuko probably would have overpowered her and taken Aang. She bit her lip. It was true she had become much better at controlling water, but her stamina...even now, two days later, she was feeling the remains of fatigue. Katara realized she was going to need a lot more training if she was going to raise her level of endurance. She might have been able to hold off Zuko this time...but next time... She would have to be _ready_.

* * *

Zhao marched hastily down the ramp that lead from his ship to the city of Puaga's harbor. Two weeks at sea, trailing Zuko, and he could not get off that blasted ship fast enough. 

Hearing the boy's ship had been spotted nearby by his naval fleet, he had been personally following Prince Zuko's trail, hoping by chance that he would lead him to the Avatar. An effort that had turned out completely and utterly fruitless. Several times they had lost track of the ship, and nowhere during those two weeks had they heard so much as a whisper in regards to the Avatar. When Zuko's ship had slipped from their sights once more, Zhao decided to quit following. What good was it trying to scavenge off someone who was entirely incompetent in their task?

Frustration and annoyance from two weeks of nothing built up inside him, Zhao strode down the docks into the bustling streets, eager to get away from his ship and commanding duties. His back felt stiff and he had a kink in his neck that was bothering him. He needed to relax. His men would be busy for the next few days...perhaps later tonight he would look for a brothel and find a whore to lighten his mood.

* * *

"The city of Puaga. As bustling as ever, I see..." Iroh remarked as he peered over the ship's rim. 

"You've been here before, uncle?"

"Mmm, many times. Puaga was taken by the Fire Nation decades ago. Because of its location, and the size of its harbor, it is a well known trade center, and creates a great amount of revenue for our country." Iroh straightened and smiled at his nephew, "But more importantly, it is a great place for shopping! There are many hard-to-find items here!"

Zuko groaned as his uncle gleefully rubbed his hands together. He hated when his uncle got like this. Oh well...at the very least, a shopping spree with his uncle would provide him opportunity to gather information on the Avatar while his men loaded supplies. Since their last encounter was only three days ago, they couldn't have gone very far, and a busy city like Puaga would be the ideal place to pick up on rumors or sightings.

Zuko stood resigned as his ship docked into port. As he looked down the long stretch of ships lining the shore, he spotted some impressive Fire Nation ships at the other end of the expansive harbor. Probably the special reserve docks, used only by high-ranking Fire Nation officials. Where _he_ belonged. Zuko grit his teeth. That sort of privilege belonged to him by right of birth–to be forced to dock in _lesser_ ports for two years because of his banishment was a humiliation Zuko couldn't stand. He was their future lord! How dare he be forced to act as if he was some..._commoner_! Zuko bit back his anger. When he captured the Avatar, things were going to be different. A _lot_ different.

Glaring evilly at the large ships in the distance, his eyes stopped on the insignia marked into the side of the largest vessel. Even from afar, he recognized it instantly. _Zhao_. Zuko stiffened. If Zhao was here, then Zuko didn't want to be. They needed to leave immediately...the last thing he wanted was an encounter with that deplorable man.

Zuko searched out his uncle, who was putting on casual robes over his usual armor. "Uncle, we need to go–"

"Zhao, yes, I saw," his uncle interrupted. "But there is no need to leave. Supplies must be loaded, I'm afraid–I am almost out of tea herbs–and as long as we keep a low profile, there is nothing to worry about." Zuko was about to argue, but Iroh raised a hand to silence him, "Do not worry. Though this port is owned by the Fire Nation, you are technically not within its borders. So long as I am with you, Zhao cannot do a thing." Iroh turned around to grab something. Turning back, he handed Zuko a simple cloak, "Here, put this on."

Zuko balked. "I am to dress as some _peasant?_"

"Unless you would prefer to attract attention," Iroh replied, his eyes resting on Zuko's scar. Reluctantly, Zuko took the cloak and put it on. They walked down the ramp and entered the city's marketplace.

* * *

"The city of Puaga!" Aang announced grandly, arms outspread. 

"Do you have to do that for every city you've already been to?" Sokka quipped from Appa's back, readjusting his boots. The Avatar and his companions were perched on the ridge of hills that surrounded the glittering city.

"But this city is special, Sokka. Puaga's been a trading mecca for years! And by the looks of it," Aang chirped, gazing down on the metropolis, "it's only grown in size."

"_And_ come under the control of the Fire Nation," Sokka added darkly.

"Well, Fire Nation or no, we need to restock pretty badly," Katara sighed, limply waving an empty sack like a flag. "We can buy the stuff we need, as long as don't draw attention to ourselves."

"_Phhht!_" Sokka scoffed. Easier said than done.

The three put on their cloaks. Aang had to wear his hood over far over his head, to cover his arrow. Appa had to stay behind on the hills, since ten ton bison tended to be noticed easily. The bison, however, seemed to hold no objection to spending the day grazing on the lush hillside.

"Momo, stay here and keep Appa company. We'll bring you back a treat!" Aang called as the trio started their walk down to the city. Aang would have liked to have brought him along, but Momo was loud and curious, not to mention a rare breed of animal. Not good for keeping a low profile, especially when going into a city owned by the Fire Nation.

"So, where's the best place to go for supplies?" Katara asked.

"Puaga has a huge marketplace just off the harbor. If there's something we need to get, we can get it there!"

* * *

Zuko looked up disdainfully at the sign leading into the tavern his uncle had pointed out. 

"The _Saucy Mare_?"

"Yes! This looks like a quaint place!" Iroh affirmed, "We have enough time while our ship is reloading to grab a quick bite to eat before shopping."

Zuko scrinched his nose. "I wouldn't be caught dead in such a seedy establish–" The firebender prince found himself cut off as his uncle pushed and shoved him towards the door. As they entered, Zuko squinted and took in his surroundings. The air was hazy, and smelled of sweat, meat, and liquor. Since it was a tavern, there were hardly any customers during this time of day. One man sat at the tavern's bar, which held a vast array of liquors, with a few other customers situated at various tables. Iroh lead him to a table along the wall and sat down. The table was small and cramped between the two high-backed benches that were placed on either side of it_. A poor excuse for an eating place_, Zuko thought, lip curled.

"Ahh, this place has quite the country charm, don't you think?" his uncle inquired happily.

"It _reeks_."

Katara looked up warily at the sign leading into the tavern her brother had pointed out.

"The _Saucy Mare?"_

"Look, I'm hungry, I want food, and this place looks cheap," Sokka stated resolutely.

"But it's a tavern..."

"So? Taverns sell other things than beer..." Sokka answered, marching towards the door. Before Katara could argue further, he had already entered. Exchanging a quick glance with each other, the Katara and Aang followed.

They sat down quickly at a table along the wall and waited patiently while the waitress took the orders of the customers sitting a few tables behind them. Katara looked around warily. Not a lot of people. That was good.

Sokka slouched against the high-backed bench he sat on. "Think they would sell me alcohol?" he pondered aloud.

"No," Katara answered flatly. Honestly, what was her brother _thinking_?

"No?" he repeated, looking slightly offended, "You think I look too young?" He traced his face with his hand.

"Too irresponsible," she retorted with a smile. Aang chuckled next to her. When the waitress, a greying, heavyset woman in her forties, finished with her other table, she came to them and took their order. It took a while to find a dish for Aang that didn't have meat, but it was finally managed. At last they received their meals: Aang, a bowl of soup, Sokka, a roast chicken, and Katara, some manner of stew. Having not eaten a square meal in so long, their dishes were quickly devoured and seconds ordered.

When the waitress came to collect the bill, the group blanched at the amount owed. It had been double what they were expecting! And what money they had remaining had to go towards supplies!

"Twenty copper pieces!" Sokka wailed, clutching their wallet as though the waitress may snatch it from him any moment, "What the hell! When did food cost so much?"

"We charge more in the daytime," the waitress responded lazily, "Now, are you gonna be able to pay, or not?"

"Ummm, just one moment!" Aang said quickly. The group brought their heads together and lowered their voices to conspiratorial whispers.

"This is outrageous! We're getting ripped off!"

"_You're_ the one who said we should come here!"

"How are we going to pay this, guys? We still need to buy food for our journey..."

"Well, if _somebody_ hadn't had a third helping..."

"Oh,_ can it_, Katara. Men _need_ more food to fuel their bodies than women! We have muscle–"

"What_ever_, Sokka!"

"Guuuys? Maybe we can work to pay off the bill..."

"Good idea, Aang!"

"Yeah, we can get Katara to use her waterbending to wash dishes, hehe–_OW_!"

"Let's ask her..."

The trio turned back to the waitress, who was beginning to show signs of losing patience. "Um," Aang began, "Do you think we could work off the tab? Cleaning dishes or sweeping floors?"

The waitress glared down unmercifully at them. "Do you know how many runaway kids ask that? And then dash off the first chance they get? You either pay off the entire amount right now, or I'm going to have to call the bartender out here. And you don't want that, sweetie." She motioned to the man behind the bar, who seemed to be made entirely of hair and muscle. All three of the trio gulped.

* * *

"Hehe," Iroh said good-naturedly, nodding at the waitress, "The women in Puaga certainly are full figured, aren't they?" 

Zuko nearly choked on his roast pig. "Ugh," he gagged, "Can you at least say something disgusting like that AFTER you've had too many drinks?"

Iroh laughed. He took another look over at the waitress. She appeared as though she were about to eat the people at the table in front of her alive. He couldn't see them or hear them well because of the high-backed benches, but judging from the worried pitch of their voices, the customers seemed to be having trouble paying. He smiled, bemused at their situation, until it reminded him of something.

Reaching in his sleeve, he searched for his wallet. Oh dear. It seems he had forgotten it. His eye caught Zuko's.

"Prince Zuko," he lamented, his voice honied over, "It seems your dear old uncle has forgotten his wallet. Now, how is your sweet, caring uncle supposed to pay for his nice lunch, mmm?" Iroh gave Zuko a signifigant look.

Zuko stared back, unmoved.

"It sure would be nice if someone relieved your poor uncle the burden of paying his share of the bill..." Iroh trailed off with his best smile.

Zuko still stared back, unmoved.

Iroh frowned. "Very well, I shall go back to the ship and retrieve my wallet."

"Hurry back."

Iroh rose with a sigh and walked towards the door. _To be cursed with such a stingy nephew! And after all the selfless things I do for him! _Iroh thought grumpily to himself, as he walked out the tavern door, the waitress glaring at him and checking back at his table to see if Zuko had moved. The three customers were still whispering furiously about their bill as he left.

Oh well, at least the walk back would give him an opportunity to look at prospective shops he would like to visit.

As Iroh's exit distracted the waitress, Aang Sokka, and Katara put their heads back together.

"How are we going to get out of _this_?"

"Don't we look trustworthy?"

"We _need_ this money...blowing it all here is going to put us in serious hurt in the future."

"Yeah, but if we don't pay we're going to be put in serious hurt _now_!"

"Maybe we can ask somebody to loan us money?"

"Who would do that?

"I don't know. There has to be _somebody _understanding and nice here..."

"You're _way_ too naive, Aang."

"Well, we have to do _something_..."

"Fine. Katara, go ask around for money."

"Why me?"

"'Cause you're a _girl_!"

"_So_?"

"People feel _sorry_ for girls–_OW_! Will you knock that off? Go ask somebody! And put on a sad face!"

Katara rose with a groan from the table and scooted meekly around the waitress, who was eying her like a hawk. She trotted over quickly to the nearest table, which had person wearing a red, hooded cloak sitting at it. Tapping the person's shoulder, she asked in her nicest voice, "Um, excuse me, but would you be so kind as to loan us some money? My friends and I–"

The person at the table stiffened under her touch, then turned around sharply and shouted, "PAY YOUR _OWN_ DAMN–"

Time froze as each other's faces came into view.

"_YOU!_" Zuko roared.

Then time started up again.

* * *

Hehe, bet you saw THAT collision coming a mile away, eh? Next chapter, things will go from bad to worse to just plain awful. Tee hee! 

Also, for those of you who are wondering WHY I didn't just add this as another chapter to "Fire in the Moonlight" (and I assume you've read it by now), it is because I felt that adding this on would undermine it. FITM was intended to yank the chains of Zuko/Katara fans by providing a Zuko VS Katara fic...to add _this_ story on, which is intended to be romantic (sorta), would kinda defeat the purpose of FITM. Does that make sense? I don't know...


	2. A Capture

Hehe...I think I gave the impression last chapter that I spite Zuko/Katara. :x Really, I don't...:_sweatdrops_: I don't _hate_ Zutara, I'm just _skeptical_. In fact, that's the whole reason I decided to take up this challenge/request–I should at least give a _chance_, right? An open mind is the best mind, they say.

Anyhow, hope you enjoy the chapter. Lotsa ass-kicking. XD

* * *

Chapter 2: "A Capture"

"_YOU!" _Zuko roared.

Katara jumped away instantly as Zuko's hand shot out of his cloak like lightning to make a grab for her. His hand a mere inches from away from her face, Zuko was suddenly blasted back by a concentrated gust of wind. He crashed hard into several tables before grinding to a painful stop. Katara looked back to see Aang, standing on the table, alert and ready to strike, Sokka quick to follow.

Suddenly, there was a loud BANG, and Zuko was up in a flaming fury. He launched a savage attack at the Avatar, who deflected it with an air-sweep into the wall of the tavern. Terrified, people scrambled out of the burning building, leaving the Avatar and his companions to face off with Prince Zuko. The firebender prince wasted no time in making another fireball attack. Sokka reacted first and flung a barstool to knock the attack off course. Using the distraction, Katara and Aang bolted for the nearest place to use as a cover–the bar. They scrambled around and crouched under the countertop, Sokka seconds behind them, just as Zuko made another devastating assault. Broken glass from the liquor rack showered down on them as Zuko's attack destroyed the wall behind the bar.

"Come out and fight, you _coward_!" Zuko bellowed out to Aang.

Sokka grabbed a bottle of alcohol nearby that hadn't been broken and popped the top.

"Sokka! _What are you doing_? This is no time to _drink_!" Katara hissed.

Sokka only smirked in response as he ripped off a strip of the bandage he kept wrapped around his forearm and placed it over the part of the bar that was burning from Zuko's last attack. As the piece of cloth caught on fire, Sokka stuffed it into the opening of the bottle. "Well, you know what they say," Sokka said with a grin, "Fight fire with fire!" With that, he stood up from behind the bar and lobbed the bottle at Zuko. A bright orange flash and a howl of pain indicated its success. Aang, Katara, and Sokka raced out of the tavern while Zuko was preoccupied.

The three fled as fast as their legs would carry them down the market place, Aang shouting apologies as he shoved people out of the way. Looking back, Katara saw Prince Zuko right on their tail...and gaining fast.

"Geez, this guy is persistent!" Sokka groaned. He grabbed Katara by the hand and increased his speed, dragging her along with him.

"Guys, move!" Aang shouted in front of them. The two swerved out of the way quickly, Katara's arm nearly being pulled out of her socket by Sokka's forceful guidance. Without even slowing his run, Aang launched himself into the air, and mid-flip, landed a powerful wind-thrust into Zuko's torso that sent the prince flying into a nearby fruit stand with a crash. The trio didn't even look back as they continued to flee down the streets.

* * *

As he bickered with an uncooperative port-official, Commander Zhao noticed one of his men walking urgently towards him. He put up a hand to silence the chattering official, and turned to the approaching soldier. "What?" he snapped impatiently.

"Sir, some information you might like to know. Prince Zuko's ship was spotted docked at the lower ports. It seems they are restocking their ship, sir..."

Zhao did nothing to hide his annoyance. Really, after two weeks at sea, trailing that worthless excuse for a prince, Zuko was the _last _person Zhao cared to see. So, as was typical of Zuko, he _had_ to make himself an nuisance and dock _here_. Why didn't that boy just do everyone a favor and fall off the face of the earth? "I don't–" he began, but stopped. A sudden billow of smoke coming from the city's marketplace had just caught his eye. "Hmmm..."

* * *

As they came to an intersection of alleyways, Sokka asked, "Think we lost him?"

"Yeah," Aang said, peering around a corner, "there's no way he could have followed us in this maze of alleywa–KATARA!"

Katara reeled in surprised as she was overcome by strong arms and pinned against a powerful body. She gasped as she suddenly found a flaming palm, very, _very _close to her face.

"_Let her go_!" Sokka growled at Zuko, boomerang out and ready to strike.

"If you _hurt_ her..." Aang warned.

"I won't, as long as you do what I say," Zuko answered menacingly. Katara felt her skin crawl as his warm breath blew against her ear. "Surrender, and I will release her..."

"Surrender. What an excellent idea, Prince Zuko," a sneering voice called behind them. Katara felt Zuko's body tense.

"_Shit_..." she heard Zuko curse into her ear. His grip tightened unconsciously on her, to the point it hurt. Katara tried to get a view of the man, but Prince Zuko held her at an angle that she could only make out a blur of him in her peripheral vision.

Zuko turned his head to acknowledge the man addressing him. "Zhao," he muttered, his voice dripping with distaste. Zuko kicked himself mentally for being so stupid. He had forgotten where he was. Now the Avatar was right before Zhou, and he was here alone, with none of his men or his uncle aware of his situation. _Shit! _Stupid, _stupid_!

"Prince Zuko," Zhao answered with a mock bow. He snapped his fingers, and the firebenders flanking him came around and wrestled Zuko into capture, tearing Katara away and also taking her prisoner. Several kicks were landed on Zuko's ribs as he was shackled.

"Katara!" Aang cried. He began to attack, but found himself suddenly surrounded by firebenders that seemed to have materialized from every alleyway connected to where they were standing. Zhao must have spread his men out to ambush them! Aang panicked as he watched Katara being roughly dragged away in shackles. He tried to rush to her aid, but the firebenders blocked him from every direction. Zhao stood in the back, watching.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Aang yelled, as a flurry of vicious wind flew up from his body at frightening speed. Sokka had to take several steps back to avoid being hurt. Aang concentrated his wind and launched out several spinning air disks. They whizzed and flew to the nearest firebenders. The force of rotation didn't knock the soldiers _back_–depending on the angle of contact and direction of rotation, firebenders who were unfortunate enough to suffer this attack were thrown in every conceivable direction, many of them straight into their comrades.

Those who were nimble enough to escape Aang's attack rushed forward to overtake them. Sokka ducked a blow from one of them, and thrust forward into the man's throat with the flat of his boomerang, crushing his windpipe. As the soldier gagged and wheezed, Sokka landed a solid kick into the man's stomach, sending him sprawling into the ground.

Sokka barely had enough time to avoid the swing of another soldier who approached from behind. Wheeling around to face him, Sokka used the curve of his boomerang to wrap around and trap the man's arm. He pulled down sharply, forcing the soldier's upper-body forwards, where he brought his knee up to the man's face with a sickening crack.

But for every soldier they defeated, two more seemed to take his place. The alleyways were swarming with Zhao's men...and Katara was nowhere to be seen.

"Aang! These guys are coming out of the woodwork! We gotta get out of here!" Sokka exclaimed, thrusting his elbow into another soldier's face.

"I'm on it!" Aang shouted. He grabbed Sokka around the waist with one arm, and transformed his pole into its flight mode with the other. The Avatar raised his contraption up, then brought it down swiftly to sweep the ground in one powerful thrust. Sokka felt his stomach drop into his boots as he rocketed upwards with Aang.

They landed very ungracefully on the roof of a nearby building. Shouts could be heard from the alleys below, with the bellow of the commander heard above them all–"_Find the Avatar! They're on the roofs! Hurry, you fools_!"

Sokka and Aang jumped over several roofs, trying to lose Zhou's men.

"Did you see where they took Katara?"

"No! You?"

"Why would I be _asking you _if I knew?"

"Any ideas where they might have taken her?"

"Well, Zhao's the one who took her...and he's a big-wig in the Fire Nation...so..."

Sokka stopped and pointed to the harbor. His finger aimed straight at the largest ship docked. "Zhao's ship!" Aang exclaimed, realizing. The young boy began to race towards the battleship, but was stopped as Sokka grabbed him by the back of his collar. "Wh-what are you doing?" he choked.

"What are _you_ doing? Are you nuts? You can't go there! There are firebenders out looking for you everywhere! You won't get anywhere _near _that ship!"

"But we can't abandon Katara!" Aang protested loudly.

"We're not! But we can't rescue her like this. We need to get Appa and Momo and then come after her," Sokka explained quickly. "They won't hurt Katara, as long as they think they can use her to get to you. Besides, Katara's a big girl–she can take care of herself. Now let's get going."

Sokka began leaping off in the direction of the hills, but Aang hesitated. Turning, Sokka exclaimed, "Come ON, will you?" He waited for Aang to catch up before he resumed their race towards the hills.

"Don't worry," Sokka vowed, "I won't let those bastards do anything to my little sister!"

* * *

Zuko tasted blood in his mouth. Whether it was from the cut on his lip or possible internal injuries, he wasn't sure. His head was still throbbing from several blows placed there. Zhao... That _arrogant_...! Zuko couldn't believe the man had the _insolence_ to have him arrested and beaten! Zhao wouldn't do this unless he was absolutely sure he could get away with it. He looked up as the soldiers on either side continued to march him forward. Zhou's ship was dead ahead. Where was Zhao planning to take him?

Zuko narrowed his eyes. He had a pretty good idea where. Glancing to the side, he saw the waterbender, also in chains, but for the most part unmolested. Most likely to be used as bait for the Avatar, if Zhao hadn't captured him already. She was glancing around rapidly, looking for a way out.

Katara took in her surroundings quickly. The firebender soldiers were marching them down the pier, towards the largest ship, most likely owned by the man in charge, Commander Zhao. Katara inhaled nervously. They had had brief run-ins with Zhao before, and Katara knew he wasn't someone you wanted to be captured by.

She had no idea where Aang and Sokka were–there had been too many firebenders. Katara bitterly wished she hadn't dropped her canteen when they had fled the tavern. She listened carefully and heard the sound of waves increase. Finally! As they turned and strode into the docks, Katara gave another quick look around, assessed things, and braced for her escape.

The soldier behind Katara heard a faint rumbling sound and paused. He realized too late the direction of the sound as a high-pressure blast of water punched through the dock under him like a geyser and launched him into the ocean. Katara took the water she propelled upwards and made a gigantic whip that knocked the other soldiers behind her clear off the dock.

As more firebenders rushed to apprehend her she grunted and pulled her arms heavily in an upwards diagonal direction. A large wave swelled and rolled ominously towards the dock. Zuko and the other firebenders looked up in dismay as the massive wave loomed and descended upon them. The initial force of the wave coming down upon him made Zuko feel as though his body weighed ten times what it did. When the wave crashed and the water scattered, the prince felt himself tugged in every which direction as if he were nothing but a ragdoll. The awesome power of the water was indeed frightening, especially when it began to suck him downwards. As he began to be swept into the ocean, Zuko caught a glimpse of a support post sticking up a foot above the dock's planks, and managed to wrap his chains around the post. Hooked on securely to something, Zuko waited as the last of the water rushed past him. When he finally had access to air, Zuko gasped and panted for breath. He now found himself suspended from the edge of the dock by his chains, his wrists feeling as if they were broken. Gah, that stupid waterbender! He knew they weren't on the same side, but could she at least have the courtesy not to _kill_ him?

While Zuko dangled off the side of the dock, Katara was having more problems. Two firebenders charged towards her, hands flaming. The first one launched a series of fire attacks which she managed to shield against with a water-whip. As he continued to advance on her, his attacks increased with speed and potency. Katara created a water shield to take the brunt of the assault, but as she deflected the last fireball, Katara noticed the second firebender had gone missing. With the first firebender closing the distance, Katara swept sideways with her hand, creating a water stream that hit the soldier from the left and shoved him off the dock. To her horror, she found the second firebender hidden _behind_ his comrade, and lunging towards her with a large knife pulled out. She shrieked and clapped her hands together–the firebender, who had come just within arm's reach of her, found himself painfully sandwiched between two water-blasts from either side. As the water dissipated, she kicked him in the face with her foot, sending him stumbling off the edge of the dock.

Katara noticed something wrong as she tried to straighten from her kick. She looked downwards and found the knife from the second soldier thrust down through her chain links and into the dock, pinning her. That had been the intent of their attack all along! Katara pulled and tugged, but the knife the second firebender had somehow managed pin her chains with wasn't budging. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned around to see a soldier, dripping wet, climb up on the dock and swiftly approach her with some sort of blunt object. Unable to get away, Katara heard a "crack" as the object connected with her skull. Suddenly, the world blazed red. Then black.

* * *

CLANG.

"Crazy waterbender! Well, the two of you can just stay in here until the commander returns and decides what to do with you!" one of the men barked to Zuko and the unconscious Katara.

Between the bars, Zuko watched Zhao's men leave the brig. The iron door slammed with an awful bang, and a guard's face appeared in the door's porthole, watching him. Zuko turned and stared sullenly at Katara. _How idiotic _could one person be? Taking on a group of seasoned firebenders? Didn't she know that Fire Nation soldiers were _clearly superior _fighters? If she had had _some_ semblance of intelligence, she would have broken him free to divert attention away from herself, and then jumped into the ocean, where she could have used her bending powers to get away. But _no_, she does it the hard way and completely botches it.

Zuko sourly remembered he was just as much to blame for this situation as she was, due to his _own_ stupidity. He sighed and leaned his head against the prison wall. Where was his uncle? Did he know what was going on?

* * *

Iroh looked down the street of the marketplace. Burning tavern, overturned fruit stands, scorch marks here and there. The old man sighed. Zuko. But what on earth could have set him off on such a rampage? One look at the manner of damage to the fruit stand–_wind_ _damage_–and it took him no time at all to guess. What concerned Iroh was the amount of soldiers out on the street. A chase like this would have attracted attention, certainly, but the streets were _swarming_ with men. _Zhao's_ men, Iroh noticed, seeing the commander's insignia stamped on their armor. Iroh's eyes narrowed. If Zhao had gotten involved, this did not bode well. The retired general moved quickly down the streets, following the trail of destruction. At last he stopped when he reached a concentration of firebenders stationed just outside an alleyway. Iroh spotted a street urchin a little ways off, and paid him five copper pieces to make a ruckus. While the guards were distracted by the child's antics, Iroh slipped past with a stealth uncanny for a man of his girth.

Seeing the scorch marks blazed everywhere across the alley, Iroh estimated a large fire fight had happened here–definitely the work of more than one firebender. Wind damage and strewn debris indicated the Avatar had been here, and had put up a formidable fight. Looking down at the scuffles on the ground, Iroh could make out that two struggles had occurred. Arrests, if he had to guess. But of who? Seeing as he couldn't find his nephew, and knowing Zuko would have sought him out if a battle with the Avatar had turned out unfavorably, Iroh had to assume the worst.

"You there! Old man! What are you doing here? This place is off limits!"

Iroh quickly readjusted his robes to conceal his armor better, and put on his most harmless face. "Oh," he said to the soldier, feigning surprise, "I did not know it was off limits–I was just looking around. Say, you wouldn't happen to know what happened here, would you?" He gesticulated to the scene of the fight.

"_Nothing_ happened!" the soldier barked, "Now get a move on!"

"Oh, yes, yes! Of course. My apologies!" he simpered as he scurried out of the alleyway and into the busy street. As soon as he was out of sight of the soldiers, his scamper turned into purposeful stride, and his face became set with a stern look.

So, Zhao's men were keeping tight lips...then something big _did_ happen. Seeing as how the commander was trying to keep things hush-hush, Zhao had probably done something he didn't have the authority to do–like arrest Zuko. Well, wasn't that man just as bold as brass? Iroh frowned. Zhao seemed to be getting more and more out-of-line every time they encountered him. But, knowing Zhao, he wouldn't have done something this risky unless he was confident he could avoid facing consequences. Which suggested he might also have the Avatar in his possession...possibly the other scuffle marks he saw in the alleyway. Iroh hurried towards Zhao's ship, determined to confirm his suspicions.

* * *

Zhao marched up the ramp to the deck of his ship, absolutely livid. Well, attempting to capture the Avatar had turned into a total failure. He cursed the incompetence of his men. Furthermore, he had just received news that his prisoners has almost escaped, due to the girl's waterbending abilities. Zhao could not believe he almost lost his valuable captives because of such an oversight. Fortunately, his men had been able to overcome them and throw them both into the brig. A thin smile came to his lips. The Avatar had escaped for now, but...he could use the girl to lure the Avatar to him. And Zuko...well, since the Avatar would soon be in his hands, he had _plans_ for that sniveling little prince... It wouldn't be long, however, before the prince's uncle caught on to his plans. If he wanted to avoid the old man's interference, they should move out quickly.

"Start the ship! We're heading west!"

"But sir..."

"START THE DAMN SHIP!"

Iroh watched from the harbor as Zhao's ship pulled out quickly from its dock and began to move out to sea. So, he was right. The former general hurried to Zuko's boat and alerted the men. Last minute preparations were made, and soon they were on the trail of Zhou's ship. Iroh hoped they would be able to reach Zhao's ship and _somehow_ rescue Zuko, but the commander's vessel was fast, and they were heading into some very dangerous waters.

* * *

Katara woke to find herself face-down on a cold iron floor, her head throbbing and feeling ten times too heavy. She rose with a groan and looked around. Her vision was blurry at first, but she could make out she was in some kind of prison. The noises and rocking motion indicated she was in a ship. Probably Zhao's. So she had failed. Great. Her cage was along the wall of a large, windowless room, with a thick iron door the only exit. Looking around, she saw her prison joined with another, the only thing separating the two cells a row of bars. And in the cell next to her was...

Prince Zuko.

He was staring directly at her from his sitting position in the far corner of his cell. Katara stared back morbidly. Really. Could this situation _possibly_ get any worse? Of all the people to be trapped with...

Wait. Wasn't he a prince? So what was he doing locked up in here? Sure, he was banished, but Commander Zhao couldn't just arrest him like that, could he? Then again, Zuko and Zhao seemed to hold a great distaste for each other. She hadn't seen much of the commander, but from the small amount of interaction between him and Prince Zuko she _had_ seen, they both looked they were out do each other in...

Katara was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard the ship groan to life and begin to move. _Move? _Where were they going?

"Hey," Katara asked, forgetting her wariness, "Where are they taking us...?"

A grim silence.

Finally Zuko answered: "The Fire Nation."

* * *

Boooooo, another very predictable chapter. I'll try to make the future ones a little more exciting. :P Hope it was still entertaining anyway. 


	3. A Confrontation

Well, a lot more talky in this chapter, and the revealing of a not-so-secret secret. Yay! Also, fixed the Zhou/Zhao thing...:_massive sweatdrop_: Just so you know, this chapter and the next chapter are going to be a little short. I suppose I could have combined them, but I felt the break was necessary.

* * *

Chapter 3: "A Confrontation" 

"The Fire Nation!" Katara panicked. "What are they planning to do?"

Zuko didn't answer.

Katara stood up, but had to brace herself against a wall until her head stopped hurting. The iron walls were very cold, like ice. When her head ceased throbbing, she turned to Zuko and said, "We need to find a way out of here."

Zuko snorted contemptuously and replied, "There IS no escape. We're trapped here until Zhao lets us out, or we're rescued by my uncle."

"What about Aang and Sokka? They'll try to rescue us too..."

"Zhao's _counting_ on that. Assuming, of course, they haven't been killed or captured already."

Katara bit her lip. Sokka...Aang...were they alright? She closed her eyes. Yes. They had to be. She opened her eyes again. There was _no way _she was going to let Zhao use her as bait to lure them to him...she wasn't going to just sit around while Sokka and Aang fell into a trap. Katara scanned her cell. Bars to her front and left, iron wall to the rest. Outside her cell and Zuko's was the rest of the brig, filled with a few other cells and some crude furniture. The thick iron door on the opposite side of the room served as the single exit. A guard's face watched them through the door's porthole.

Zuko watched with a cross between disdain and amusement as the waterbender scrutinized the cell, looking for any weaknesses. Checking the sturdiness of the cell's door hinges, the durability of the lock, the strength of the bars. She even tried to see if she could squeeze between the bars, but to no avail. Eventually she gave up on her useless attempts and paced in her cell.

Suddenly she stopped and turned to Zuko. "Hey, this prison is made of iron. Couldn't you use firebending to heat up and bend the bars?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Don't you think a ship owned by firebenders would have anticipated that? Why do you think this room is so cold?"

Katara looked around. The room _was_ cold. But, being raised in the South Pole, she was used to icy temperatures, and hadn't even given it a second thought. She looked back at Prince Zuko, and for the first time noticed he was shivering. A slight glow from his body indicated he was using his fire to keep warm. Katara didn't know if she should feel satisfaction or pity.

Seeing that Katara didn't understand the rhetorical question, Zuko continued, "Fire is harder to control and maintain in freezing temperatures. And this metal is ice cold. It would take forever before these bars were heated up enough to make the metal pliable, and by then a guard would have stopped me. Why do you suppose the Fire Nation concentrated on conquering your nation so early in the war?"

Katara didn't want to hear the answer.

Feeling she didn't comprehend the concept yet, Zuko pressed on with his example. "The cold of your homeland made it a threat to become a possible stronghold against the Fire Nation later. That's why the Fire Nation attacked the Water Tribe near the beginning of the war, to eliminate a threat before it could realize itself."

Katara turned away from Prince Zuko. She didn't want to hear that. She really didn't want to hear that..._logic_ behind the brutality and oppression of her people, spoken with such casualness. A _threat_? They were just living in peace! The _Fire Nation _was the only threat here! Katara turned her head to give Zuko an ugly look. She felt her anger wane as she saw him still slightly shivering. No! He didn't deserve pity. He could just freeze to death for all she...

Hold on... Why _was_ it so cold down here? The engine ran on burning coal...it should be very warm below deck... Katara put her finger in her mouth, wetting it. Then she tested the air with her moistened finger and found a draft coming from an upwards diagonal direction. Katara walked quickly over to the bars of her cell and looked out. Outside her cell, in the brig's ceiling, was a vent! That must have been how they kept the room cold–they were pumping cool air in!

"Look!" Katara called to Zuko, pointing it out. He looked unimpressed. "A vent!" she clarified, hoping he would catch on.

"Really? I couldn't guess. A nice idea, except for the fact we have no idea where the vent leads to and _we're still stuck in here!_"

Katara frowned. Sheesh, she didn't see _him_ coming up with any ideas. She looked back at the vent. Well, one thing at a time. First she needed to figure a way out of this cell, then she could decide what to do about the vent...

Katara's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud clank come from the brig's door lock turning. She quickly stepped away from the bars and into the back corner of her cell. As the door opened with a groan, a figure stepped in. Judging from his garments, he was obviously high in rank. Commander Zhao. She recognized his armor from glimpses she had caught of him in previous encounters. Katara stayed back in the shadows and watched as he approached the prisons. Zuko, on the other hand, bolted right up to the bars of his cell.

"Zhao, you _audacious bastard_! What _impudence _you have to arrest me! I was not within Fire Nation boundaries! You have_ no right_–"

"On the contrary, Prince Zuko," Zhao crooned, "You were arrested for disturbing the peace. Of course, once we cross the border into Fire Nation, I'll have you arrested for entering banished grounds..."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh, but I _can._ And I _will_..." Zhao sneered, positively gleeful.

"My father, when he finds out what you have done, will punish you for your insolent transgressions–"

"Like last time, Prince Zuko?" Zhao mocked, his eyes dancing on Zuko's scar. "That's a terribly annoying habit you have, my prince, always running to your daddy like that. You would think experience would have taught you that your father doesn't give a damn about his silly little son's troubles..."

Zuko flew into a fury. "_How dare you_! You know _nothing_ of my father, you worm! He _cares_ for me and is _proud _to have me as a son!"

"Right. Which is why you received banishment and I a promotion!" Zhou laughed long and hard. Katara got the eerie feeling she had heard that awful laugh before. She watched the rage on Zuko's face, underlined with a deep hurt. What sort of father would banish his own son? What did Zuko _do_?

"My father...will not...allow this..."

"I don't care _what_ you father does with you. It won't matter very soon. The Avatar will come for his little friend and will fall into my grasp. And, once I hand over the Avatar and collect my reward, you'll have _no way _to restore your honor. So, I suppose you should be thanking me for dragging you to the Fire Nation to be arrested. It's probably the only way you'll ever get to see your home again!" Zhao laughed out loud again. Zuko could no longer hold his fury in check and launched a vengeful fireball at his hated enemy. Zhao blocked it with little effort. "And _you_..." he said, turning to Katara.

He walked over to her cell, right up to her bars and looked in. In the light, she could make out his face...sharply defined features...piercing eyes...sneering lips...she...she _knew_ him...

"So, you must be one of the Avatar's companions," Zhao taunted, peering in at her frightened face, " I do hope you'll enjoy your stay while..." he choked to a stop when he caught her eyes.

_Blue._

Zuko's seething came to an abrupt halt when he saw Zhao blanch. The man looked as if he had seen a ghost. His Adam's apple bobbed several times before he stuttered, "_You!_" Zuko's eyes trailed over to Katara, whose face was hidden from him, and saw a tremor pass through her. Otherwise, she remained deathly still. Zhao straightened, and with an odd stiffness to his voice, said, "Well. This is unexpected. I...shall leave now until you are...further needed." And with that, he turned on his heel and marched out, the iron door slamming shut behind him.

_What the hell?_

Zuko's curiosity got the best of him, and he asked in a low voice, "What just happened? Do you know each other?"

Katar stayed exactly in place, the only sign on movement in her shaking fists. "It's _him_..."

Too curious to be annoyed by her vagueness, he pressed, "Him _who_?"

"...the...the man who killed my _mother_!"

* * *

Zhao slammed the door to his office shut, desperate to get away from human contact. He sat down at his desk and ran his hands over his face several times. Those eyes! Those remarkable blue eyes! Zhou squirmed in his chair. He had never expected her to be one of the Avatar's companions...to think that he would see her again. He remembered that girl from a raid on the Water Tribe he had preformed two years ago..._two years_, and the image of her eyes hadn't faded in the least. 

Those awful eyes. Zhao had performed countless raids and committed many atrocities on his climbing and scratching to the top. And in every single cruel deed, he had felt completely justified in his actions and without remorse. Except for one. Those eyes of hers–so blue and so very, very _sad_–stood in mournful accusation, a shining testament to his irrefutable guilt. He could not look into their depths without acknowledging what he had done before them was **_wrong_**.

He hated them. He hated her for having them. As soon as the Avatar was captured he would kill that girl with the beautiful blue eyes...

He couldn't stand to _look_ at her.

* * *

Zuko was surprised. Zhao had killed the girl's mother? _Well_, he thought dryly, _destroying other people's lives was what Zhao did best._ While it didn't come at any shock that the waterbender would recognize her mother's murderer, it did strike Zuko as very odd that Zhao recognized _her_. Not only that, but he had turned a ghastly white. The commander must have committed hundreds of similaratrocities without so much as batting an eye–what was it about this girl that disturbed Zhao so much? 

Puzzled, Zuko glanced over at her. She was sitting in a little ball, her hands placed over her throat. Over her mother's necklace, the one that he had tried to use as bait for her and the Avatar in the past. So strange that they would share a common enemy...

"I hate the Fire Nation," she muttered after a long silence.

Zuko felt insulted. How _dare _she condemn him and his nation based on slime like Zhao? "Hmph! Don't damn our nation just because one man killed your mother..."

"It's not just him!" she snapped, eyes blazing, "It's _you_! It's _all _of you! Your _nation_ oppresses and kills people, for no other reason than sadism and a thirst for power, and _you_ spend all your time trying to capture Aang, the one person who can bring _peace_ back into this awful world! Besides Shiyu, I haven't met a single decent firebender! You're all nothing but _monsters_!" she bitterly spat.

Zuko sat upright as his temper blazed. "Who the hell do you think you _are_, calling me and my nation monsters? Traipsing around with the Avatar, and you seem to think you _know it all_! What does some peasant trash know about my nation's reasons? _My_ reasons? You don't know a _damn thing _about this **_war_**, you _stupid little girl_!"

"_I KNOW!_" Katara screamed, slamming her hand on the floor. "_I know_! I _know_ every time I put on this necklace and remember my dead mother! I _know_ every time I think about my father, who's off fighting for the freedom of our people! I _know_, when I have to constantly fight for my life, and only people I have left are always getting hurt! You think I don't know about your nation? After all it's done? You think I don't know about this _WAR_? _I know_! I'm _living_ it _everyday_!"

Zuko sat, stunned. He would have liked to have told her that she was wrong, to yell and shout that she only knew _her_ side of the war. But as he heard her muffled sobs, Zuko realized he didn't know anything more than _his_ side of the war, either. And so he stayed silent.

* * *

Yup, short n' sweet. Zhao kinda stole the show, freaking out like that. I don't really know if firebenders are susceptible to cold–I just thought it would be interesting if they were. And, needless to say, the vent will come in handy soon. Keep reading, the next chapter will be a blast! 


	4. A Catastrophe

Haven't updated in a little while. Bad me. Sorry, no Zuko or Katara in this chapter, since Aang and Sokka are taking the spotlight. But don't worry, our favorite couple will be back next chapter...

OR WILL THEY?

_:evil grin:_

* * *

Chapter 4: "A Catastrophe" 

Aang gripped Appa's reins as he leaned forward, mentally willing his bison to fly faster. But the bison was moving at top speed, as he had been since they took off after Zhao. Aang squinted at a tiny dot in the distance–Zhao's ship. It would be an hour or so before they entered Fire Nation territory. The Avatar bit his lip in worry. Katara...was she alright?

Sokka fidgeted in Appa's large saddle. Cleaned another phantom scuff-mark off his already immaculately polished weapons. He let out another long breath–the third one in five minutes. Waiting was driving him crazy. Was Katara hurt? Scared? Alone? Did those firebenders _do_ anything to her? Sokka didn't like admitting he was scared, but the prospect of his sister in the hands of Zhao, heading towards the Fire Nation, _terrified_ him. Another sigh.

He glanced over at Aang, who was watching Zhao's tiny ship in the distance with a furrowed brow. Aang looked determined–almost calm–except the hands gripping at the reins were white at the knuckles and shaking slightly. Sokka turned his gaze away from his friend and looked out morosely into the distance, tracing the horizon with his eyes, trying to soothe the fears clutching relentlessly at his stomach. His eyes stopped when he saw another little dot.

Sokka reached into a nearby pouch and pulled out a small spying glass. Momo perched on his shoulder to see what he was doing. The young warrior put the seeing tool up to his eye and looked out into the distance. A ship came into view...and not just any ship–_Zuko's_ ship!

"Aang!" he called out. Sokka put the spying glass in Momo's hands, who scurried over to give it to him, then pointed in the direction he wanted Aang to look. Aang took the spying glass from Momo and peered in. When his eyes caught sight of Zuko's ship, he visibly started.

"I don't get it...why is Zuko chasing after Zhao?" Aang queried.

"Well, Zhao has Katara...so Zuko knows we'll go after him...maybe he's planning to try and steal you from Zhao...?"

"Hold up! Didn't Zuko get arrested?"

"From what I saw...I thought that was just a ploy from Zhao to get Zuko out of the way...I thought he was still in Puaga, behind bars. Wait...you don't think..."

Both boys echoed each other: "Zuko is on Zhao's ship _too_!"

"That would explain why Zuko's ship is following Zhao into the Fire Nation...his men are trying to save him!" Sokka deduced. "Zhao must be taking Zuko with him to be arrested when they reach Fire Nation territory."

"So who's running Zuko's ship?"

"Good question. But whoever it is, they have a similar goal to us. We want Katara, they want Zuko. Which means..."

"We could work together!"

"Exactly. Assuming they agree to work with us, siding with Zuko's men would be a big help. Let's face it, Zhao's ship is huge and heavily guarded. We would have a hell of a time trying to get aboard without being spotted and captured. If we team up with Zuko's men, that will increase our chances of success."

"What are we waiting for then?" Aang shouted and tugged Appa's reins in the direction of the ship. "Yip-yip!"

* * *

Iroh paced the deck of the ship, his eyes trained in the direction he knew Zhao's ship to be heading. Fire Nation waters. The old general normally didn't waste energy with useless pacing like his nephew did, but his worries made it impossible to sit down. 

He absolutely had to stop Zhao before he brought Prince Zuko into Fire Nation territory. Bringing Zuko there could prove _deadly _for him. Iroh had been wracking his brain trying to find a way to retrieve Zuko, but to little avail. Zhao's ship was so large, a direct attack would be useless. Negotiation looked bleak too, since Zhao was planning to capture the Avatar, and a successful capture would excuse almost any misdeed on his part–Ozai would be too pleased with Zhao's boon to bother about his transgression. And Zuko...

Iroh's pacing increased. He _must_ get Prince Zuko back. _Some_how...

A shout from the helmsman caught his attention. He looked up and caught the word "Avatar" as the helmsmen pointed to his upper-right. Iroh watched as a ten-ton bison descended very quickly upon them. When the bison was astride the ship, it stopped its decent and kept pace. Iroh recognized the Avatar and the other boy from previous encounters.

Perhaps there would be hope for his nephew after all.

* * *

"Aang!" Sokka croaked, "You can't just barge in like this! They're still firebenders, remember?" 

Aang ignored him as he hopped off Appa's head and onto the deck of the ship. Many of Zuko's men had come up from below deck to see what the commotion was all about, but Aang marched right past them, up to the only other person whom he had ever seen give orders besides Zuko, Iroh. The Avatar stopped an arm's reach away from the man and looked straight up into his surprised face.

"We need help," Aang stated matter-of-factly, "Zhao has our friend prisoner. We need to rescue her. Your prince is captured too. If we work together, maybe we can save them both. What say you?"

A long, stunned silence followed. Iroh finally raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The soldiers surrounding Aang suddenly bristled with weapons, and the Avatar looked around warily. "_Well_," Iroh replied cooly, "I _could_ have you captured and traded for Prince Zuko's return..." He paused a moment for effect. Aang braced himself for combat while Sokka slowly drew out his boomerang. "But," Iroh continued at last, "I find your idea more appealing." The old man ended with a smile.

Aang relaxed.

* * *

Aang and Sokka rode high up over Zhao's ship, using the clouds as cover. Zuko's uncle had agreed to work together with them on the condition that they rescued his nephew as well as Katara. Neither of them knew how Zuko would act once he was no longer behind bars, but given the circumstances, both Aang and Sokka expected some manner of cooperation from him. 

Aang steered Appa while Sokka and Momo kept an eye down below. They were awaiting the signal from Iroh to advance on the commander's ship. The retired general decided he would be attacking Zhao's ship as a decoy. While Zhao was preoccupied with Iroh's "attempt to reclaim his nephew", Aang, Sokka, and Momo were to sneak aboard the ship. Appa would be flying right on the ship's bow, out of sight and harm's way. Once they found and rescued Katara and Zuko, they would bind the prince and hastily return him to his uncle. Then they would make their escape–whatever happened to Zuko and his uncle afterwards would be their problem.

The Avatar and his friend tensed as they entered Fire Nation territory.

* * *

Iroh watched Zhao's ship grow larger at their approach. He grit his teeth. What he was doing was dangerous–they had just entered his homeland's waters, and Zhao's ship was many times larger and heavily armed. The commander was no fool either–he would eventually figure out Iroh was using himself as a distraction. Those two boys would have to work fast if they wanted to save Prince Zuko and their friend. 

And...once Zuko was returned, both he and his nephew would flee. However, depending on how ferociously Zhao reacted, he might be forced to take the Avatar hostage. A minor detail Iroh decided not to divulge in the explanation of his plan to the two boys. Having the Avatar in his keep would insure Zuko's safety against any arrest for trespassing, and Zhao wouldn't dare fire on a vessel containing his key to success. Of course, Iroh realized, this was an extremely risky ploy. There would be Zhao to contend with, naturally, and he doubted the Avatar would willingly allow himself to be used as a shield. Not to mention Prince Zuko...his nephew would waste no time in an attempt to turn over the Avatar to his father–something Iroh could _not_ allow to happen. Iroh sighed. He was going to have to be very crafty if he was going to save Prince Zuko and the Avatar from Zhao and Ozai.

Iroh turned as he heard a metallic groan and saw the final preparation of the catapult in place. Ammunition was loaded and ready to fire. The former general turned his gaze back to Zhao's ship and gave the command.

"FIRE!"

* * *

Zhao clenched his fists in irritation as he heard a urgent knock on his office door. Hadn't he _explicitly_ stated he _did not _want to be disturbed? "What? It had better be good!" he snapped. 

"Sir!" the officer called from the other side of the door, "Prince Zuko's ship has been spotted...and is approaching rapidly!"

Zhao stood straight up. Was Zuko's uncle coming to rescue him? They were already well in Fire Nation territory–he had no power here. So what was the old man planning to do? The commander marched out the door and headed towards his ship's deck. When he got there, he saw his men running about in a frenzy. "What's going on?" he demanded, angry at himself for being the last to know of the situation.

"Sir, the approaching vessel is preparing to fire!"

"What?" Zhao exclaimed, bewildered. A red movement caught his eye, and he glanced up to see an angry flaming projectile hurtling straight for his ship. He nearly lost his footing as the helmsman tried to dodge Iroh's attack, but the vessel was too large to move in time, and suffered a blow to the side. A bright orange blast blinded him as a small tremor shook the deck. Zhao shouted for a damage report and was relieved to find that it had only been a glancing blow and no hole had been punctured into his ship.

"Fire on the opposing vessel!" he bellowed. By then, his men had already brought out the ship's catapults and loaded them. They fired, raining down deadly missiles upon Zuko's ship. But the boat was a small one, and very maneuverable, making it easy for Iroh and his men to evade the attacks.

Zhao stared in wonder. Did Iroh seriously plan on getting into a battle with him? He might be able to avoid being hit for now, but sooner or later he would be struck and would have to surrender or perish. Surely the great former general was not so stupid as to do something this reckless, especially with his nephew on the line...? _No_, he wasn't.

So there must be something else going on. Zhao narrowed his eyes as he began to suspect what.

* * *

An explosion below caught the attention of Sokka and Momo. "There's the signal!" Sokka cried as Momo screeched in emphasis. Aang yip-yipped and spurred Appa's decent downwards. They flew down quickly as possible, hoping Iroh's fire would keep Zhao and his men from spotting them before they reached the boat. When they were practically touching the water, Appa moved along to the side of the ship and kept pace. Sokka and Aang reached up from the saddle and climbed awkwardly through a porthole in the ship, Momo deftly following behind. Once inside, they took in their surroundings. The room appeared to be the soldiers' quarters–apparently of low rank, noting the number of cramped beds and crude furniture. They waved Appa off and the bison flew to the bow of the ship to watch and wait. 

The three peered out the door of the room and into the ship's hallways. Momo kept his sensitive ears perked for any approaching soldiers. They quickly navigated through the maze of hallways, cautiously trying out important looking doors to see where they lead. After a few minutes of exploring did they finally realize how massive Zhao's ship was.

"This is going to take forever! How are we supposed to find Katara?"

"Well, she's probably being kept in the brig, but I haven't seen any stairs leading down at all!"

Momo gave a warning squeak, and the two hid themselves in a dark corner as soldiers rushed past. "Thanks, Momo," Aang whispered.

The trio continued their search frantically, knowing they were running out of time–Iroh's distraction would eventually be figured out, and then they'd be in serious trouble. At long last, they came to a hallway significantly wider than the others–most likely one of the main ones–and hastily traveled down it. Soon, a stairway leading down came into view. Momo let out another squeak. Aang listened hard and heard soldiers coming down another hallway that intersected with their own. All three pressed themselves up against the wall. The soldiers rushed past them, oblivious to their presence, until one of the soldiers stepped on Momo's tail, which had not been tucked in.

Momo shrieked shrilly, and the soldiers turned to find the Avatar and his friend not three feet from them. Aang reacted first and used his airbending skills to knock them down the length of the hallway. Sokka and Aang raced to reach the stairs, but soldiers alerted by the commotion intercepted them, blocking the path to the stairs. Both of them could hear shouts as the message of their discovery was relayed throughout the ship. So much for stealth.

Unable to reach the stairs due to the amount of soldiers pouring into the hallway, Aang and Sokka turned tail and ran the other way before they could be overwhelmed. Hopefully there would be another way to get to Katara. They ran from hallway to hallway, soon getting lost in the maze of passageways, meeting more soldiers at every corner.

After managing to dodge another group of Zhao's men, the three turned a wrong corner and found themselves at the end of a wide hallway, with a large pair of doors straight ahead. Soldiers' footsteps could be heard–Zhao's men would be upon them in seconds. With no other option of escape available, Aang and Sokka pushed against the doors until they opened with a groan. The Avatar used his wind to slam the doors shut just moments before the soldiers reached them.

Aang looked around the room they had entered. There was a lot of heavy equipment in this room; weapons, catapults, ammunition, explosives–this was an artillery room! Aang used his airbending powers to help Sokka move several heavy crates and lumber against the door to brace it shut, but both knew this would only buy them a minute at most. Looking around for exits, they found only several large pulleys and trapdoors above them...all of which led to the ship's deck. And_ Zhao._

They were surrounded, and in very, _very_ deep trouble.

"Sokka, what do we do? There's firebenders at every exit! We're trapped!"

Sokka looked around at the weaponry. "Well," he said slowly, "There's no way we can fight this many _fire_benders...but if we take that ability away, we could even the odds." He tapped a crate of gunpowder. "_And _we might get a good bargaining chip for Katara, if we play this right..."

Aang tilted his head to the side, confused.

* * *

As a volley between his ship and Zuko's took place, and Zhao was becoming more and more confident of his suspicions. When a soldier ran up to him and breathlessly reported the Avatar was below deck, his suspicions were confirmed. 

"Keep firing on that vessel! Make sure that old goat stays busy, understood?" he shouted. His men affirmed their comprehension, and Zhao rushed below deck. As he went from soldier to soldier, he learned the Avatar and his friend were trapped in the artillery room. The only reason his men hadn't broken down the door yet was because they were waiting for his command. When he reached the door, he gave it, and his benders blew it in with a mighty blast. The Avatar used his airbender abilities to deflect the door and debris careening at him aside. Zhao strode in.

The Avatar stood waiting, staff ready. His companion, a boy from the Water Tribe, had his boomerang out and ready to throw. Zhao almost did a double-take at the older boy. He didn't recognize him at first, but after his run-in with the blue-eyed girl, he knew without question that this was her brother. That boomerang looked very familiar too...

"Give us Katara!" the older boy shouted.

Zhao blinked. Katara? Was that her name? _Katara..._

"And Zuko!" Sokka added, though without as much emphasis.

Zhao raised his eyebrows in surprise. Zuko? What did they want...oh. Iroh. He must have agreed to help them under the condition they rescue his nephew as well. However, Zhao had no intention of giving up either of his prisoners.

"You're a bold pair to be giving me orders. Do you children not know what situation you are in? The only two exits to this room, this door and the trapdoors above, are blocked by my men. You are _completely surrounded _with no way out...except surrender. Give yourselves up, and I won't hurt you _or_ your friends..."

"Hmph!" Sokka snorted, "I don't think you know what situation _you're_ in. Take a good look at the floor and walls around you."

The commander scrutinized his surroundings, and found everything covered in a layer of dust. No...not dust..._gunpowder_...the Avatar and his companion had coated this room full of explosive weaponry with _gunpowder_...they were sitting on a giant _bomb_!

"My friend, the Avatar here, used his wind powers to blow gunpowder all over this room. And in this room are lots of explosives. If so much as a single spark hits the floor the entire place will ignite and these crates holding explosives will go _boom_. Which means, unless you want to be blasted into the next life, you won't be using any firebending."

"There are enough explosives set up here to blow the ship in _half!_" Zhao balked, "Are you willing to gamble with your_ lives?_"

"That's up to _you_," Sokka replied, feigning calmness. Inside he felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. "Since none of you can use fire, you're all pretty much at the mercy of my pal, Aang. So, unless you wan to be _beat_ up–or _blown _up–I suggest you bring my sister and that jerk prince up here _now_."

Zhao narrowed his eyes. He wasn't about to be bowled over by some Water Tribe brat. "I have a better idea," he growled, "Either you surrender, or I give the order to have your friend killed. Your little trick might protect you and the Avatar, but it doesn't protect your friend–I can relay a message to have the girl's throat slit at any time." He raised his hand as if to give a signal, and several soldiers stood in attention at the artillery room's door, ready to sprint to the brig at the drop of his hand. "Give yourselves up, or I'll have her executed."

"No."

Everyone looked at Aang. It had been the first time he had spoken during the standoff.

"I know firebending," Aang lied, "I can make a spark that will ignite this whole room. Give us Katara and Prince Zuko, or I'll blow this whole ship up."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"You'll kill us all in the blast, and the ship will sink, taking the girl and the prince _with it._"

"I'm the Avatar. I can shield Sokka and myself from a blast like that using my powers. You _will not_ survive. Once this ship is blown apart, I'll _find_ Katara and Zuko and rescue them." Aang glared at Zhao from across the room and delivered his ultimatum: "So you can either hand over my friend and Prince Zuko, or I can blow everything up and get them anyway!"

An agonizing silence filled the room.

* * *

"We're out of ammo! Go to the artillery room and tell somebody to send more up!" one of the catapult operators yelled to a fellow soldier. The soldier nodded and bolted below deck. None of them would have believed a tiny vessel could have landed _three blows _on them and not get hit even _once_ under their relentless barrage–except for the fact the one in charge of that little ship was the infamous General Iroh. The old man lived up to his reputation...it was uncanny how he could predict their moves before they even made them.

* * *

A sense of dread washed over Iroh as he saw Zhao's ship cease fire. Had Zhao caught onto their plan? Were he and his men _ignoring _his distraction while they searched for the Avatar? If he was to help the boy in his mission to retrieve Prince Zuko and their friend, Iroh _had_ to keep their attention. It appeared as if he would have to make an all-out assault on the ship. 

"Bring the ship around to a stop! Load the catapult with the best ammunition and prepare for a final assault!"

* * *

Aang and Zhao still stood locked in a stalemate, neither yielding. The boy prayed the commander would believe his bluff about his firebending and Avatar abilities, and would just hand over Katara and Zuko. The steely look on Zhao's face, however, left him little hope. 

"Ammo—we need more ammo—we're out—Iroh—ship—" a voice bounced off the walls as a young soldier came rushing towards the room. He gazed, completely bewildered, as he reached the doorway, and found his commander and the Avatar in a standoff. His fellow soldiers were about to push him out of the way, when Iroh's final assault hit the ship, the force rocking nearly everyone off their feet. The young soldier, thinking the sudden, violent tremors a result of the Avatar, reacted and fired.

"_NO, YOU FOOL_!" Zhao screamed.

"_DON'T!_" Aang and Sokka shrieked.

_**BOOM. **_

* * *

THE END.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Noooo, that would be mean. Guess you'll have to wait till next chapter to find out the body-count, tee-hee!


	5. A Cooperation

Zhao (outraged): "You sunk my _battleship_!"

LOL.

Hehe, if things weren't looking bad for Zuko and Katara before, they sure are now. How are they going to escape _this _sinking disaster?

* * *

Chapter 5: "A Cooperation" 

Iroh gazed in absolute horror as an enormous explosion erupted from Zhao's ship not moments after his last, desperate assault had hit. It felt as though all the air had been sucked from his lungs as he watched the furious mass of flames unfurl from the vessel. Had...had _he_ caused this?

Iroh rushed to the front of the helm. "_PRINCE ZUKO_!"

* * *

Prince Zuko held onto his bed, which was bolted to the wall, in order to prevent himself from being thrown about his jail cell. A quick glance in Katara's direction showed she was doing the same too. They had been sitting in a tense silence ever since their spat after Zhao's departure until several tremors rocked through the ship. Immediately Zuko knew the ship was being fired upon, but could only speculate as to what was happening. Was it his uncle? Surely he wouldn't do anything as stupid as attempt to take him from Zhao by force, would he? Zuko couldn't help but be a little touched by the idea. 

However, after feeling three or so hits through the floor's vibrations, some sort of massive explosion had taken place. The ship was being shaken so violently Zuko had to cling onto his bed for dear life, and the resonating "BOOM" that went through the ship was deafening. Eventually the shaking lessened until at last the prince felt safe to let go.

What manner of explosion was _that_? What could have possibly been the cause of that extreme an impact? The cause, however, quickly became unimportant as several long, low groans echoed throughout the ship and bolts began popping from the walls. Zuko watched, becoming increasingly alarmed, as the walls began to creak and bend and small spurts of water started coming through.

More groaning and creaking traveled throughout the ship, and quite suddenly everything began to tilt in a slight downwards direction. Zuko felt the shift in gravity with a grim apprehension. The ship was _sinking_.

The waterbender looked around in a panic and shouted, "We need to find a way out!"

"I'm open to suggestions," Zuko responded sardonically.

The girl gave him a piqued glare, then looked around the room. She stayed still for several moments, frowning in concentration. Then she clapped her hands together as an idea struck her. The girl summoned some of the water that was leaking into the brig, and stumbled over to her door. She considered the door's thick lock, shook her head, then moved to its hinges. With careful movements, the waterbender willed her element to envelope each of the hinges. Then, with a slow breath, she froze the water. A loud "crack" resounded throughout the brig, and the hinges broke. She pushed her door, which swung open unevenly along its lock, then walked carefully out. Zuko watched, surprised.

"What did you just do?" he asked.

"Frost-wedging. When water freezes, it expands. By putting water into the little gaps and spaces inside the hinges, and freezing it, the pressure from the expanding ice caused them to break."

Zuko glanced back down at the broken hinges and carefully logged the waterbending trick into the back of his mind.

Taking small steps to accommodate the movements of the ship, the girl slowly headed towards his door. When she got there, she summoned up more water, and began to do repeat the same process as before. Zuko stared, utterly incredulous.

"Why are you helping me? I thought you hated the Fire Nation."

"I do. But I'm not _like_ the Fire Nation–I _value_ life, even if it's that of another country. You're a _person_ before you're a firebender, and I won't just abandon someone in need, even if they _are_ from a country I hate."

Prince Zuko stared several moments, completely stunned. The waterbender's words rippled through him..._You're a person before you're a firebender_...

Katara's resumed efforts to break open his door brought him back to reality. The "frost wedging" had put a crack in his door's hinges, but it did not break them. "You pull, and I'll push," Zuko commanded. Both worked together, straining, until the door began to give. Zuko gave a solid kick to the hinges, which at last broke completely, freeing the door. He stepped out of his cell, right up to Katara.

They stared a each other, a foot apart, with nothing separating them. Without a word spoken, a truce was called.

Their mutual compliance agreed upon, both inspected the room. Zuko walked over to the brig's thick iron door, but without a key from one of the guards, there was no way to open it. Which meant they were stuck in here, with no way out.

Seeing the brig's door of no use, the waterbender caught his attention and pointed up. "We can try the vents," she suggested. Zuko scowled, skeptical. "Look,"she stated, "There's no other way out but this..."

"We don't know where that leads."

"_Well_, we know what will happen if we stay in here!" she countered, pointing to the growing leaks in the brig's walls.

Point taken. Zuko looked up at the shaft and considered. Then he turned to Katara and barked, "Get those chairs and table and stack them up. I'm going to climb up into the vent first."

"What?"

"Look," he snapped, impatient, "If one of us was to stand on the other's shoulders, the vent could be reached. You, however, don't have the strength to pull me up _or_ support me on you shoulders. So, you're going to stack up the furniture and keep it from tipping over while I climb into the vent. Once I do that, you'll climb up the stack and grab onto me. Understand?"

Katara blinked and nodded, then did as she was told. Zuko had a difficult time climbing up, due to the slanted floor and rocking motions, but Katara and her waterbending kept the pillar steady and Zuko managed to do it. Breaking the vent cover open was even more of a challenge, but after some forceful coercion, the cover finally gave way and he climbed up into the vent. Of course, once he entered the vent, he realized it was too narrow. There was several inches of space between the tips of his shoulder-armor to the vent's walls, but no possible way he could turn around and lift the waterbender up. Which meant he would have to...

Zuko sighed at the inconvenience, and wiggled backwards through the vent, so that his legs dangled down from its opening. "The vent is too narrow. I can't turn around. You'll have to grab my legs and–OW!" Zuko yelped as he felt the waterbender grab his legs with an iron grip. He grumbled with intense irritation and began to worm forward. The firebender prince felt himself pulled backwards several inches as the supports under Katara gave way, and he grunted with the effort to pull both himself and her up into the vent. When she was finally in, she let go and breathed a thanks. Zuko glared at her evilly from the corner of his eye and continued onwards.

"We need to follow where the air is coming from," the waterbender called from behind him. _Well, obviously_, Zuko muttered silently to himself as he squinted against the cold rush of air flowing past his face. Gah, it was freezing in these vents. He made a conscious effort not to shiver. At long last he saw a vent opening up ahead, with the cold air coming straight from it. Ahead must be the room where the cold air was created and blown into these vents.

When Zuko reached the vent, he attempted to bust it open, but to no avail. After several attempts to break the cover off, Zuko felt his face become numb against the icy wind blasted on him. He signaled Katara to crawl up next to him and squeezed to the side to allow her room. The vent was tight, so both were uncomfortably squished together. Zuko tried to ignore how warm she felt against him. How did the Water Tribe people _stand_ freezing temperatures like this all the time?

"Use your 'frost-wedging' again," he ordered quickly.

Katara willed a small amount of water she had taken with her from the brig into the seams along the vent cover's edges, then blew on it and turned the water to ice. There was faint crackling sound, followed by a loud "pop" as the cover broke off. Zuko crawled out of the vent and dropped onto the floor of the icy room with a "thud". Katara followed behind shortly after.

Katara looked around the refrigeration chamber. There was lots of ice, and several large swirly-thingies that moved the air around in currents, powered by the movements of several pendulums and interlocking cogs. She noticed along the walls there were lots of vent openings. _Ahhh_, she thought, _this chamber isn't just to keep the prison cold, it must send coolant throughout the ship, in order to keep the engines and other machinery from overheating_. Katara marveled at the technology, and noted bitterly this was what had given the Fire Nation such an advantage over all other countries–including hers.

Prince Zuko, however, didn't give the room so much as a second glance and headed straight for the door. He twisted the hatch and pulled the door open.

No sooner had the door opened a crack than a blast of water rocketed through and sent Zuko flying backwards. The room filled with water almost instantaneously. Katara used her bending abilities to keep the water away from their upper bodies while it flooded the rest of the room, creating a four foot wide sphere of air to breathe in. Katara strained to keep the water at bay and the air-bubble in place. "Are you alright?" she asked Prince Zuko.

"Fine. Let's go," Zuko muttered. He grabbed her hand and led her out the door. They floated and bobbed down the halls of the ship, Katara trusting Zuko to know his way around Fire Nation ships well enough to locate a way out. It wasn't long before both saw the extent of the damage caused by the earlier explosion. Debris, twisted metal, shards of wood, pipes, and occasional bodies floated down the halls of the ship as they swam past. Katara averted her eyes from a body floating dreamily from its trapped position under something unrecognizable. The farther they swam, the more severe the wreckage got, until the hallway became an obstacle course of jagged edges from the ship's remains. Zuko stared ahead grimly. The extent of damage and scorch-marks along the wreckage were _not _from some external attack–this attack had to have come from _inside_. But what could have _possibly_ happened to destroy Zhao's ship from the _inside out_? Did his uncle have anything to do with this? He wondered where his uncle was–was he safe?

The firebender prince threw a quick look back and saw Katara struggling to maintain the air-bubble. Her arms were shaking from the sheer exertion of combating the bubble's buoyancy and the surrounding water's pressure. They needed to find a way out soon, before she collapsed–or they ran out of air. Zuko tried to maneuver them around the damaged ship more quickly, hoping the passageways ahead wouldn't be blocked with too much debris.

Ducking under a mess of warped pipes, Zuko forced himself to come to a halt as he felt a strong current ahead. Peering down the hallway, he saw the passage come to an abrupt stop, with nothing but ocean lying beyond it. The prince felt a strange mix of relief and fear–they had come to where the ship had been split in half from the explosion. He pointed out the opening to the waterbender and pulled her forward.

When they came to the ledge Katara said, "Take one last deep breath." After they did so, the waterbender relaxed her powers. Her waterbending no longer locking the bubble in place, the air pocket flew up, and water rushed around them. They pushed off the edge of the destroyed ship and into the vast ocean. Zuko was slightly taken aback when he felt her wrap an arm firmly around his waist. She took her free hand and thrust it downwards forcefully. With a jolt, Prince Zuko suddenly felt himself being rocketed up through the water at an intense speed.

They broke the water with a large splash and gasped for breath. When they managed to recover a little, both scanned their surroundings. From where they tread on the water , they could see Zhao's ship was in dire ruins, and sinking fast, with a great pillar of billowing smoke rising from the wreckage. And not far off, sailing away, was Zuko's ship!

"_UNCLE! OVER HERE!_" Zuko yelled at the top of his lungs. But the ship was moving away quickly, the distance too great for him to be heard, and the smoke and debris making it impossible for them to be seen. He cursed his luck and quickly decided to make do with the immediate situation himself.

Looking around, the two benders found the nearest island lay to their right, about a half a mile away. "Grab onto me. I can get us there," Katara panted as she swam to Zuko. The prince hesitantly put his arms around her. With two free hands, she thrust into the water and launched them towards the island. The force of the movement made Zuko tighten his grip on her considerably. Katara repeated the thrusting motion several times, propelling them closer and closer to land. Fatigue starting to set in, Katara gave one last mighty blast. Their arrival on land was made very apparent to Zuko as he had the wind knocked from being sandwiched between the impact of the beach and Katara's momentum.

He roughly shoved her off, and lay on the beach, breathing harshly. Both of the benders were shaking–Katara from exertion, Zuko from lack of heat. From a distance, they could see the pathetic remains of Zhao's ship continuing its decent into the ocean's abyss. Debris from the wreckage littered the water, and a thick, black cloud of smoke rose ominously to the sky. Seeing the state of Zhao's ship, Zuko knew if the waterbender hadn't helped him, he would most likely be dead.

Further off was his ship–and his uncle–traveling away at top speed. Did his uncle even know he was alive?

* * *

Earlier... 

Iroh watched Zhao's ship smolder in the distance, with a sharp, clutching pain in his chest. After noting the manner of damage to the ship, Iroh deduced that the explosion had not come from one of his attacks, but from inside. Something must have gone wrong between Zhao and the Avatar, but Iroh couldn't guess what. He weakly held onto the ship's railing and stared at the terrible sight before him. _Prince Zuko..._

Iroh gripped the railing tightly as a firm resolution came over him. The Avatar, though inexperienced, was still a powerful being. He could have survived the blast, and rescued Zuko from the sinking ship. Until he was given absolute proof of Prince Zuko and the Avatar's death, he would search for them. Iroh turned to his crew, who all still held mixed expressions of disbelief and horror.

"We are going to search through the wreckage for survivors. There is a chance, however small, that Prince Zuko and the others are still alive, and in need of help. Start the ship and move in immediately–we must act quickly."

The soldiers snapped out of their stupor and did as told, sending Zuko's ship towards the wreckage at a swift pace. Iroh knew they would have to work very fast, and not simply for the survivor's sake. The massive column of smoke rising from the wreckage of Zhao's vessel would attract every Fire Nation ship for _miles_...and if he was spotted in Zuko's ship at the scene of the explosion, it would spell doom for him and his nephew.

Iroh stood at the helm, alert and watchful. He noticed several rowboats along the debris. So, it appeared a number of Zhao's men had survived. On one hand, he was glad to see not everyone had been killed–even if they were Zhao's men. On the other, this did not bode well for Zuko. Once one of the navy's ships arrived and picked up the survivors, news of his nephew and the Avatar being in Fire Nation territory would spread throughout the military's ranks for certain. Iroh could only pray they weren't as optimistic as he was and assume them dead due to the explosion.

Sailing carefully along the wreckage, it was hard to pick out anything due to the smoke and clutter of the ruins. One thing, however, stood out among the debris. A great, white, furry beast, bobbing along the murky water, its fur burned and blood-stained. The ship was brought up beside it, and Iroh peered over the edge at it. The animal seemed out-of-sorts, but not unconscious. An eye rolled up to meet Iroh's, groggily waiting.

_Well_, Iroh thought, _we can't simply leave it here...once ships start arriving to investigate, this beast will almost certainly be killed_. Iroh turned to his men and shouted, "Clear a space on the deck!"

"You're bringing that thing _aboard_?" someone shouted on the deck.

"Yes. We can't abandon the poor creature, and the beast may prove useful in the future."

The men continued to look skeptical, but did as told. Iroh leaned over the edge of the ship's railing and called down to the beast, gesticulating to aid its comprehension, "Ah...you seem like an intelligent animal, so I will assume you can understand. We are willing to take you aboard, but have no equipment to do so. You will have to come aboard yourself. Can you manage?"

Iroh felt slightly foolish talking to a giant bison, but the bison gave a snort to show it understood, and with a groan, lifted itself from the water. It wobbily hovered its way over to the clear spot on the deck and landed with a "_mlurmph_". Everyone on the deck was knocked to their feet as the weight of the beast tipped the boat, and the vessel tilted drastically to one side

"Ahem," Iroh asked uneasily, "perhaps you could move just a little to the left...?" The mammoth animal let out a breath and scooted in the direction requested. _So, the beast is intelligent...perhaps he _will _be useful in helping us find the Avatar...and Zuko_, Iroh thought. He went up to the bison and patted its nose. "Do not worry," he said soothingly, "We will help tend your wounds and look for your friends." The bison snorted its thanks, which would have brought a smile to Iroh's face, except for the boogers it plastered to him.

"Sir!" one of the men cried urgently from the ship's telescope, "Another vessel has been spotted on the horizon and is approaching rapidly!"

Damn. Already? Iroh desperately wanted to stay to look for his nephew, but he could by _no means _afford to be apprehended by one of the navy's ship. He could only hope his nephew was still alive and able to make it out of this mess, the Avatar and his friends included. The former general whirled and gave the command, "Set a course away from here at top speed! We'll use the islands as cover!"

And with that, the ship was off. Had Iroh had stayed but half a minute longer, he would have seen the splash created from his nephew and the waterbending girl breaking the ocean's surface.

* * *

"Where are we?" Katara asked, tearing her eyes away from Zuko's shrinking ship to look about the island they were on. 

"We're on the northern outskirts of the Fire Nation."

Katara blinked. How did he know so precisely where they were? Prince Zuko seemed to pick up on her question and added, "The kazan fern only grows in the basaltic soil of the northern edges of the Fire Nation." He pointed to a dark, spiky fern that populated the shore. _Wow_, Katara thought, _this guy really knows his way around...that will be helpful for finding a way out of here_.

But...Katara wasn't entirely sure much she could trust the truce between her and Prince Zuko. Both of them were in deep trouble, that much was for sure. He was a banished prince, and if he was caught inside his nation's borders, he would face dire consequences. And she...she was a girl from the Southern Water Tribe, who was still rebelling against the Fire Nation. If she was found, they would no doubt assume her a spy and...Katara didn't want to think about what happened next.

It seemed if they both wanted to survive, they would have to work together. But their truce could only go so far... If they were rescued by Prince Zuko's uncle, she was certain Zuko would try to use her in the same way Zhao did. And if Aang and Sokka came to their aid, Zuko would attempt to capture him and turn him over to Fire Nation officials. So...it seemed their agreement only lasted until they met with either one's allies. After that, they would be enemies again. Remembering the incident in the cave not four days ago, Katara hoped she could avoid having to fight Zuko head on. Though, in her gut, she doubted it.

Zuko watched the tower of smoke from Zhao's ship with an air of dread. That smoke would signal _every ship _in these waters...and once the navy's patrollers arrived, they would be scouring the area for survivors. Zuko, however, didn't want to be found–if he was discovered, anything but a "rescue" would occur. They needed to move out quickly; hopefully they would be able to find a way to reach his uncle, or at the very least a place to hide.

"Let's scout the island to see what we can find," Zuko briskly suggested and strode forward along the beach. Katara followed along behind warily. Her wet clothes were uncomfortable, so she drew the water out from them and placed it back into the ocean. Prince Zuko was also bothered with his continually squelching armor, and with a blast of hot air, dried it instantly. Walking along the island, Zuko deduced this patch of land might be big enough to hold a village. However, if there was a village, he was leery about entering, since soldiers would soon be scouring this area.

Their scouting was brought to a halt as a dark form further along the beach caught their view. A closer inspection revealed it to be a soldier from Zhao's ship–a mortally wounded one. Seeing he was no threat, the two benders approached him. The soldier was bleeding profusely, and had several large burn areas covering his body. A piece of wooden lumber from Zhao's ship gave evidence to how the soldier had drifted ashore. Katara was pained by his agony, and instinctively knelt beside the man to comfort him.

"What happened? What happened on Zhao's ship?" Zuko demanded.

The soldier was dazed, and didn't seem to comprehend the question. Katara caught his attention and asked slower.

"It...it was...the Avatar..." he choked.

Katara felt the world bottom out from under her.

* * *

Things just keep getting better and better for everyone, eh? 

I'm a little nervous about the upcoming "Storm" episode...if my "Zhao killed Katara's mom, which outraged Zuko and triggered the Agni Kai incident" theory is nuked...I will be very sad.


	6. A Casualty

Well, looks like "The Storm" episode took my theory and tossed it into the wastebasket-of-no-return. SADNESS!

Oh well. What's done is done. Looks like this story will be slightly AU...no biggie, right?

That said, everybody get out your hankies...there's more angst in this chapter than a Greek tragedy.

* * *

Chapter 6: "A Casualty" 

"It...it was...the Avatar..."

Zuko started in surprise. The Avatar had gotten involved? That didn't surprise him too much, since the waterbender was the Avatar's companion, and someone he would never abandon. However, Zuko _was_ surprised to hear the Avatar was the one behind the explosion. What sort of insane power did he unleash on the ship...did he activate his spirit and use its tremendous force to tear apart Zhao's vessel? And_ why_, especially when it put his waterbender friend in peril?

"There...was gunpowder...they spread it throughout the room..."

"_They?_ Sokka was there too?" the waterbender shrieked, fear laced in her voice.

"What...?...Th...the Avatar and his friend...were trapped in the artillery room...they put gunpowder everywhere to keep the commander and us from using firebending...but some kid from the deck showed up...needed ammo for catapults...against Iroh..."

"_My uncle_? Tell me what happened with my uncle!" Zuko demanded.

"_No!_" Katara shouted to the man, desperate, "_Tell me what happened to Aang and Sokka!_"

The man blinked and continued, "The young soldier who entered...when the ship started shaking...the kid...he fired on the Avatar..."

Katara held her breath.

"...everything _exploded_..._fire_... destroyed the ship..." he choked.

Katara doubled over from her sitting position beside the man, her chest resting on the tops of her thighs, her body too heavy suddenly to sit up. All sensation disappeared except for the crushing weight of the revelation. Couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel... No. _No_. No no no! Not again. Not them. Anyone but them. Please, please, anything else, anything. No no no. Please. No. Not them. Katara's forehead touched the sand, the grains sticking to her sweated brow. Little teardrops dropped into the sand and were absorbed instantly, but she didn't see, _couldn't_ see, could only feel a heaviness draped over her...

Zuko watched uncomfortably as the waterbender stayed clenched in a little ball on the ground. It was difficult watching her grief, and he quickly tried to move his mind elsewhere. Thinking over what the man said, he realized something...

"Wait...if you were there, how did you survive...?" Zuko asked slowly. The small shaking in Katara's shoulders paused.

The man coughed. He was fading fast. "There...there was a blue light...an instant after the explosion...it shielded...most of us...I survived the explosion...only to get this injury while trying to make it out of the sinking ship," he cracked a bloody smile and said grimly, "...my luck seems pretty fickle, eh?" He coughed several times more.

_So_, Zuko thought,_ the Avatar _was_ the one behind the explosion, but only used his powers to _survive_ it. The soldier mentioned Zhao...if the Avatar and this man survived, then so did he..._

Katara trembled over the man's words and pulled herself up again. She nearly gasped from the relief. Suddenly the world had color and sound and light and everything was beautiful to her. Stuck on an island in a hostile nation, with no supplies or allies, along with her hated enemy, and everything was wonderful and perfect because they were alive, Sokka and Aang were _alive_, and that was all she needed right now.

"Thank you," she told the man, who looked at her sideways with an incredulous look. Zuko shared a similar expression. Katara didn't even know why she was thanking the man–he was one of the men who had tried to capture Aang and hurt Sokka–but she was so happy, _so happy_, to hear her loved ones were alive she could have kissed the deliverer of good news.

The man coughed again, and his breathing was becoming slow and labored. Katara took his hand and made small adjustments to make him more comfortable. Both the man and Zuko looked astonished. Zuko absolutely couldn't believe what he was seeing. They were _in_ this terrible situation because of Zhao and his men–men like _him_! Did she think if the roles were reversed, that that man would have shown her any compassion? Why was she comforting someone who had taken part in her capture, and the near death of her brother and companion...?

_...You're a person before you're a firebender_...

Zuko looked away, unsure _what_ to feel.

Katara held and patted the man's hand. She was surprised slightly at the hot tears slipping down her cheeks again. The man saw her and looked confused. Honestly, she couldn't completely understand why she was crying either...this was one of Zhao's men! He was one of the men that held her prisoner, and tried to hurt Aang and Sokka. He...he...might have even been one of the men that raided her village two years ago... But...he wasn't Zhao's soldier now...he was just some man dying on a beach. She remembered the awful, heavy feeling from when she had thought Sokka and Aang were dead, and how happy and relieved she was to hear from this man that they were alive after all. This man was dying, though...and he wasn't going to come back to life like they did. Katara sniffed back her tears. Did this man have a home? A family? Someone who would feel the grief she did a few moments before...?

The man looked away, unable to meet her blue eyes anymore. "...N-no..." he rasped, "...thank _you_..." Katara squeezed his hand and smiled. "...I..." he began, eyes still looking away, "...I'm sorry...about..." He tried to finish but had already passed. Katara closed his eyes. What did he want to apologize about? She would never know.

Zuko's discomfort level was already higher than he could stand. When Katara finally let go of the man's hand, he hardened his expression and slipped back into what he was familiar with–necessity and protocol. He strode up and kneeled beside the man, making very sure to avoid eye contact with the waterbender. He searched the body and found a knife and small spying glass. Zuko took these, along with the soldier's belt and helmet, and quickly moved himself away from the body. He hated taking things from dead people, but they were in desperate need of any supplies they could get, and it's not as though the man was going to be needing them anymore...

Katara stared after him with an outraged look on her face. This man had just _died_, and all Prince Zuko could think about was the _tools_ he could get off him? She turned back to the dead man, disgusted. Looking down, her face softened, and she put her hands together in a prayer. _As we all hail from the sea, so must we return to the sea...that which sustains us in life, watches over us in death... _Katara used her waterbending to call water up from the ocean to drag the body out to sea. It drifted off a ways before it finally sank from the weight of its armor below the water's surface.

Zuko, who had been trying to keep himself busy inspecting what he had taken off the body, made a quick glance in Katara's direction...and found the body gone! He turned and scanned the area, spotting the body in the distance just before it sunk into the sea. Furious, he stormed up to Katara, still crouched in prayer. He whirled her around and shouted, "_What are you **doing**?_"

"Putting him to rest!" she cried in answer, confused by the sudden outburst.

"_Putting him to rest_?" he balked, "_You **cremate** the dead! What sort of...**barbarians**...lay their dead to rest by making them into **fish food**? How you–_" Zuko stopped his tirade mid-sentence. Why was he getting so upset? This was just some soldier of Zhao's–what did he care what happened to his body? He turned and muttered, "Never mind. Forget what I said. Let's get going..."

He strode off stiffly inland, Katara watching him with anger and disbelief. She didn't _like_ hearing her people called _barbarians_–especially from someone who takes possessions off the dead without a second thought! At least she had the decency to _bury_ the man! But...she supposed the rituals were different here, and the soldier was already put to rest, so she bit her tongue and followed.

* * *

Aang awoke to being shaken. He opened his eyes and slowly focused on the figure before him. Sokka. Aang tried to move, but his body felt like lead. So_ tired_...it took his brain several moments to recall what had happened. There was an explosion...then blue...then black. He moved his eyes around, and found he was now on a beach. Sokka was saying something, but he couldn't hear the words. The Avatar sat up, but the motion made him dizzy, so he sat with his head on his knees for several moments until his mind cleared. 

"Aang...Aang! Are you okay?" Sokka's voice finally came through to him.

"Sokka...? What happened?" he asked.

"I...think you used your Avatar powers to get us off the boat. I don't know what happened...I just woke up a few seconds ago." Sokka said, quickly looking around. "Momo still hasn't woken up yet," he added, pointing to the small, unconscious creature lying a few feet from them, next to Aang's staff, its wet fur crusted with sand.

Aang looked around. They were on an island, one of many small land patches that dotted the sea around them. He didn't see any driftwood–did his Avatar spirit carry them here? Aang tried hard to remember, but it only resulted in a throbbing headache. He looked back at Sokka, hoping maybe to get more answers, but found the older boy's gaze locked on something, his face frozen in a look of panic.

Aang followed Sokka's gaze up into the sky and saw...

Smoke. A giant cloud of it.

He tried to find the origin, but it was hidden around the bend of a sand bank. He whirled back around to his friend and cried, "Sokka, what happened to the ship?"

Sokka swallowed several times. "I don't know..." he said, his voice cracking, "L-let's find out..." Sokka grabbed Momo and got to his feet, waiting for Aang. The airbender reached for his staff and tried to use it to help himself stand, but only succeeded in stumbling over. "Here," Sokka said, handing him Momo and squatting to the ground, "Get on my back. I'll carry you." The boy did as told and they were off, Sokka nearly tripping several times due to the sand and his own haste.

They rounded the sand bank and finally came to see Zhao's ship. Or rather, what was _left_ of it. Aang felt as if someone was squeezing his heart with a vice. He couldn't breathe. One thought rang through his head...

_Katara!_

Aang dropped his staff and slid off Sokka's back. He clutched the still unconscious Momo and took a few shaky steps forward. The view of the ship blurred with tears before him. Everything inside him seemed to turn into fluid; his insides felt like water and his knees felt like jelly. Aang sank to the ground. _Please, please not Katara_. Images of her trapped...with water coming in at all sides...her trying to fight it off...but failing...

_It was all **his** fault!_

Aang felt sick, but couldn't throw up. He buried his face in Momo's fur, desperately needing to feel something warm. He made tiny little noiseless sobs, and his eyes burned–whether it was from his tears or the sand in Momo's fur getting into his eyes, he didn't know.

_All his **fault!**_

Aang saw blue for a moment, and the air around him flew into a frenzy. But he was too exhausted from using his spirit earlier to maintain it, and he collapsed. He awoke once more to Sokka's face. But unlike Aang, whose whole body felt like liquid, Sokka crouched over him rigid and unmoving. His jaw was clenched and a muscle in the arm he propped Aang up with was twitching. He took Momo out of Aang's grasp and laid him down to the side stiffly, then turned back to his friend, his face tight with emotion.

"Aang! _What are you doing_? Stop _crying_ already!" Sokka shouted. But Aang couldn't stop..._Katara_... Sokka lightly slapped him on the face. "Knock it off will you! Katara's _not dead_! _She's fine! **Fine!** So...**stop crying**...already_..." Aang would have found him more convincing, if it wasn't for the tears streaming down the young warrior's face. "Katara's a _water_bender, remember?" Sokka pleaded, "If anyone, _she _could make it out of this. She'd have _found_ a way to _get off that ship_...so don't fly off the handle like that, alright? _She's fine. She's...**not**...**dead! Okay?**"_

Aang didn't answer.

"_OKAY_?"

Aang stifled a sob.

"Katara's _ALIVE_," Sokka shouted again, pain cracking his voice. He took several deep breaths and calmed down. "Aang" he started again, "Katara made it out...she...she _did_. And...she's out there somewhere, and she _needs us _to _rescue her_. Are you going to just _leave her_? Or are you going to _help her_?"

This seemed to reach Aang. "You're right," he choked, "We put Katara in this mess...and we'll get her out of it...we'll _save_ _her_...this time, we _will_..." Aang fell unconscious again, too exhausted to continue.

Sokka laid him out on the beach, and placed the Avatar's staff into his small hands. Then he cleaned Momo off to the best of his ability and laid the animal next to Aang. He sat down on the sand beside them and ran his hands over his face. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breath out. Katara was alive. Katara was fine. Katara made it out. She wasn't..._wasn't_... He wiped the tears from his face. Warriors didn't cry. Katara was _alive_. She _had_ to be.

He didn't know _what_ he would do if she wasn't.

* * *

Zhao was a born survivor. He didn't pull through his father's beatings, the cruelty of battle as a new recruit, and the viciousness of politics as his scratched and clawed his way to up to commander simply to _give up. _But, at that current moment, he wished he had died with his ship. 

The Avatar had used his powers to shield himself and those closest to him–including Zhao and a few of his other men–from the blast. His entire ship had been destroyed. The Avatar had managed to punch his way out of the wreckage using his tremendously powerful spirit, just as he had said, leaving those who had survived the initial blast to die in the sinking wreckage. Zhao had somehow made it to the water's surface, burned and bruised, along with a handful of his men, where they drifted on whatever they could find to float. Some of his other men–ones who had been far enough away on the ship to survive the explosion–had managed to get whatever lifeboats they could find and escape the sinking ship. They had found him and a few others among the wreckage and pulled them aboard.

It was some time before Zhao was able to come to his senses and think clearly. And when he realized the entirety of the situation, he cursed his men for saving him. Because all they had done was prolong his life until he met his very _painful_ end at the hands of another.

Lord Ozai.

When the Fire Lord learned about what happened–a _failed_ attempt to capture the Avatar, a _destroyed_ naval battleship, and his son _killed_–Zhao was a _dead man_. He didn't even want to _think_ about what the Fire Lord had in store for him.

He weakly propped himself up from where he was sprawled on the back of the lifeboat. A few of his men gave him questioning looks. Seeing his movement, one of the soldiers called to him, "Sir, shall we scan the shore for survivors? There are many islands in the area...some of the men could have drifted ashore..."

"No," he answered resolutely, "We absolutely_ must_ find the Avatar..." _That is the _only_ chance I have to spare myself from Ozai's wrath,_ Zhao thought grimly.

"Should we wait until one of the navy's ship arrives for rescue...?"

"No!" he barked. _If one of those ships pick us up, word about my failure will reach the Fire Lord's ears even quicker, and we'll be at the mercy of the crew on that ship...what's worse, one of those vessels may find the Avatar first and take him for themselves. I MUST get to the Avatar before anyone else...or I'm doomed_, he silently thought to himself. "We must find the Avatar. That is our top priority."

The men exchanged wary glances, but stayed silent. One of the soldiers eventually spoke up and said, "Sir, several of the men who manned the lifeboats said they saw the Avatar as he was leaving the ship, and the direction he headed in..."

Zhao sat bolt upright. "Why was I not informed of this _before_? _Follow the Avatar** immediately**_!"

"But sir...shouldn't we wait for a ship to pick us up before we attempt to follow? This lifeboat–"

"FOLLOW HIM! We'll come aboard one of the ships _after_ he's been captured by _**us**!_" he snapped.

The soldiers gave another round of uncertain looks, and began rowing as told. Zhao clenched his fists and steeled his resolve...he _would_ find the Avatar. He _must_.

Had they scanned the shores as suggested, Zhao and his men would have come across a wounded soldier of theirs on a nearby island, accompanied by a waterbender girl and a firebender prince.

* * *

Mmm...this chapter seems a little _damp_ from all the sobbing. Next chapter, things start to pick up as everyone fights for survival! 


	7. A Call

Woo! The illustrious long-awaited chapter seven! And don't let the first section fool you...things WILL start moving faster...soon.

* * *

Chapter Seven: " A Call" 

So. There _was_ a village. Zuko peered down on the settlement from his hiding place amongst the island's foliage. Katara watched him silently from a few feet back. She hadn't spoken a word since they had left the beach and started scouting more inland about a half and hour ago. But Zuko felt her presence constantly as they made their way cautiously through the island's forest. Scrutinizing the scene, Zuko could see the locals scurrying around. It looked as though the people living here were aware of what had happened and were on the alert.

Zuko crept back a few feet and nodded to Katara, indicating her to follow. He led her away from the village where they might be spotted and reported by one of the locals. It was absolutely vital they remain unseen–this island was going to be searched soon by the arriving navy vessels, and if one of the villagers informed the incoming soldiers about seeing them, it would be even more difficult to avoid his nation's military.

Looking up, Zuko noted the sky's deep shade of scarlet. It would be nightfall soon–_finally_ some circumstances to their advantage. In the cover of the night, he and the waterbender wouldn't have to worry as much about being found by any soldiers, and they could both get some well needed rest. Not hearing any footsteps behind him, Zuko stopped and turned around to find Katara frozen in spot a couple yards or so back, frowning, listening hard. He strained his ears as well, and picked up the sound of water. The prince swallowed with difficulty as he realized how thirsty he was–he hadn't had water since before he was brought on Zhao's ship. Zuko caught Katara's eye and they both headed quietly towards the sound of water.

After a short walk, they came upon a small stream traveling swiftly towards the sea. Zuko pulled off the helmet he had taken from the soldier and dropped to his knees to scoop handfuls of water into his mouth, gulping quickly. When he had quenched his thirst, he wiped his mouth and took a glance over at Katara. She was drinking gracefully from a water-ball she levitated in her hands. Zuko glared at her, somewhat indignant that a peasant could drink as if from a cup while he had to lap on the ground like a dog. He dismissed his feelings with a snort and scanned the area. A few yards downstream was a large tree fallen over next to a boulder, providing a small covered area for shelter. He strode downwards to it, ignoring the waterbender.

When he reached it, he stopped and squatted, inspecting the shelter more closely. It was small–only able to accommodate the two of them if they laid parallel to the tree–but it would keep them dry and relatively hidden from any soldiers that may happen by. Footsteps to his left informed him of the waterbender's approach, and he looked up to see her questioning face. "We'll camp here for the night," he said stiffly, "We can rise early in the morning tomorrow and decide what to do then."

The waterbender looked apprehensive, but nodded. Zuko crawled into the 'cave' created by the side of the bolder and the fallen tree, careful to watch his head. He felt about, and shoveled out whatever loose rocks or sticks he could find to make the ground more comfortable to sleep on. After he was satisfied with his work, he scooted out. The waterbender was still standing in the same spot, looking awkward. Uncomfortable under his stare, she finally asked, "Ah...shouldn't we make a fire?"

"No," he replied, as if she were completely dense, "We don't want to attract any soldiers, remember?" Katara nodded and looked away, slightly embarrassed at her question. After a moment, Katara rolled up her parts of her clothes and went to the stream nearby to try to clean herself off as best she could. Zuko followed suit. As he took off his shirt and started to wash himself, Katara noticed numerous cuts and bruises all over his body. Probably from Zhao's men beating him, and the escape from the ship...not to mention the blows Aang landed on him when they had been running from Zuko this morning...

Katara finished her washing and pulled her leggings and sleeves down. "Um...would you like me to use my waterbending to help heal you?" she asked.

Zuko stopped his washing and turned around. "_What?_"

"I _said_," she asked a little louder, "Would you like me to use my waterbending to help heal you?" There was a short pause. Feeling perhaps he needed further explanation, she continued, "Waterbending can be used in many ways, both to harm and to heal. I can use my bending powers to help lessen the cuts and bruises on you..."

Zuko stayed silent a moment, unsure. "Why are you offering that?"

Katara gave him a curious look. "Because you look like you need it."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying I'm _weak_?"

The waterbender looked taken aback. "That's not what I'm saying at all! Look, you're hurt, and we're going to be having a rough time ahead, so I'm offering to help you out a little. Is that _okay_ with you? Do you want itor _not_?"

Zuko eyed her suspiciously. What was she getting at? Could he trust her to "heal" him? She _had_ helped him off the ship...After a moment of thought, he turned back around and muttered, "Fine."

Katara summoned some water from the stream and walked over. She sat down behind him and evaluated his injuries. There were cuts all over his torso and several large bruises along his ribs. She wondered if his ribs were broken and gave them a soft push with her fingertips. Zuko stiffened instantly, but his ribs felt fine. Beginning to work the water over his body, Katara noticed how tense he was. Even after escaping Zhao's ship together, she could see he still didn't trust her completely. Not that she trusted him all the way either, but she felt they needed to have at least _some_ level of comfort around each other.

"You can relax. I'm not going to hurt you," Katara said.

Zuko turned his head slightly and looked at her out the corner of his eye, its bright yellow a sharp contrast to the red of his scar. "As if you _could_," he answered acidly.

Zuko turned his head back around and stared out into the darkening scenery as the waterbender continued her "healing". He tried to relax, but himself only able to after a conscious effort. It wasn't as though he was afraid she was going to hurt him (though he kept note of all her movements just in case), but he simply felt uncomfortable having her so close to him. Zuko had to use much of his training and meditation's discipline to resist the urge to jerk away from her touch.

Her water moved over him, finding its way to his cuts and bruises. A very cold sensation came from the liquid and dissipated much of the pain. The bruises where the soldiers had kicked him lessened in their ache, and with a downward glance, he saw the angry purple blotches had been reduced to mere shadows. His cuts didn't seem any smaller, but they were cleaned and didn't hurt as badly as before. Zuko twitched when she put her hands on his back, trying to feel for any sore spots, and his muscles unconsciously became rigid once again.

"Relax," she repeated.

Zuko clenched his jaw hard and willed himself to relax, slowly feeling his muscles slacken. The waterbender felt around with her fingers, locating all the knots in his back, and used her waterbending to work them out. Zuko felt the tenseness fade and he found himself beginning to be lulled by the sensations of the water's repetitive movements. Almost like waves. He was surprised when he caught himself dozing off. The firebender prince decided he had had enough and stood up. "Thank you," he said mechanically, "We should get some rest."

The waterbender nodded and placed the water back into the stream. She stood up and brushed herself off. When she started heading off into the woods, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Oh, uh, you know," she answered sheepishly, "Nature calls." The girl turned heel and quickly headed into the woods. Zuko stared after her, frowning. Would she try to leave and make her way back to the Avatar herself? No...there was no way she could survive the Fire Nation without his help. Confident she would return, he turned to do the same as she, realizing he hadn't relieved himself since they had first gotten on this island. When he returned, he found the waterbender sitting by the shelter, waiting.

A long silence. "You first," Zuko said finally.

Katara looked at the shelter warily. She really didn't want to go in first–she wasn't overly fond of the idea of being 'stuck between a rock and a hard place'. Zuko noticed her hesitation and snapped, "Look, I should sleep on the outside because I'm a light sleeper and can react to anybody who might find us quicker."

"Yes," Katara countered, "But I can defend us by using my waterbending, plus I can attack from behind." She pointed to the stream. "Besides, if anyone does find us, your armor will give away you're a firebender and they'll know what to expect. No one here knows who or what I am. I provide a better element of surprise."

Zuko closed his eyes in irritation. "Fine. _Whatever_."

He crawled into the shelter and laid down. Zuko couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief–after all the stress and strain of today, the hard, uneven ground might as well have been the softest bed of the royal chambers. He scooted towards the back as much as he could to provide Karara enough space to sleep under the fallen tree overhead. The girl crawled in after him and laid down with a sigh as well. Zuko closed his eyes and let his mind wander. The Avatar was alive and out there somewhere with all those navy ships searching around. Would they find and capture the Avatar before he could? Would they find out about _him_? Did they know he was alive? Did his uncle know he was alive? Where was his uncle? What was he doing? And there was Zhao to think about too... Zuko's mind ran in circles until exhaustion overtook it too and he fell asleep.

Katara lay on her side looking out from the shelter into the night. Her hand rested over her throat, her fingertips tracing her mother's necklace. She closed her eyes and said a prayer for Aang and Sokka. Were they alright? Did they escape the wreckage unhurt? Had they been found by the Fire Nation ships patrolling the waters? What about Appa and Momo? Were they okay too? So many people to worry about...Katara's fingertips rested on the pendant of her mother's necklace, and she slipped into sleep.

* * *

Sokka looked up into the night sky. It was dark, but still too early for stars. He returned his gaze to Aang. They were camped out along a grouping of large rocks a little ways inland of the island they had arrived on. Sokka had dragged Aang here when he had spotted several Fire Nation ships coming in to investigate the wreckage and nearby islands. The rocks provided decent cover, and when stood on top of gave an elevated view of the surrounding area . Aang was still asleep from earlier. Momo had woken up finally, and sat curled up next to Aang, trying to be of comfort. Occasionally a tear would slip down Aang's face and Momo would lick it off and give him a few head-rubs. 

Sokka couldn't bring himself to look at Aang anymore and went back to staring at the sky. Was Katara out there somewhere too, looking at the same starless sky as he was? Or was she seeing _black_? Sokka closed his eyes. Stupid, _stupid_. He had gambled with Zhao, gambled with Katara's safety on the line...and _lost_. He could only hope Katara had managed survive his stupidity and make it safe somewhere. But...how were they going to find her? There were ships all around now, and they had _no idea _where Zuko's uncle and Appa were. _Or_ if they were okay. Sokka prayed Appa was all right. He didn't want to see the big lug hurt...and Aang wouldn't be able to handle anything more after...Katara. Sokka put his head in his hands. _Katara...please be okay..._

The young warrior let out a sigh. This wasn't the time for being depressed. They needed to take _action_. They would find Katara...but the needed to get other things together before they did that. First, Aang needed to rest so he would be ready for whatever might be heading their way. Second, they needed to find their allies...Appa and the old, fat man. Then, thirdly, they could gather information and look for Katara. Sokka pondered. How were they going to find Zuko's uncle and Appa, anyway? They didn't even know where _they_ were!

Sokka paused. Of course! He could have slapped himself for being so dumb!

"Momo!" he hissed. The lemur looked up quizzically. "Appa's whistle!" Sokka whispered, pointing to Aang's coat. Momo carefully fished his small paws around Aang's coat and retrieved the whistle. He leapt over to Sokka and handed him the small, buffalo shaped whistle. Well, if there was any way to reach Appa, this would be it. Sokka blew.

No sound.

Sokka and Momo exchanged glances. The young warrior frowned. He really hated these "special whistles" only bison could hear...how could you tell if they worked? Sokka drew in a deep breath and blew into the whistle as hard as he could several times. He hoped that would do the trick...

Sokka looked over at Aang, still sleeping. He turned to Momo and said, "I hope that worked..."

Momo chirped in response.

* * *

It hurt to move. Appa lay on the deck of his master's enemy's ship, his wounds cleaned and bound to the best of ability, which was hardly at all. But Appa was tough. He could take it. 

Where was his master? And the others? He did not know. He did not know why the enemy had taken him aboard and treated him either, but as long as they did not hurt him, he would not fret over it.

Appa tried to replay his memories over, seeing if he could perhaps piece together what could have happened to his owner. However, it was very difficult, because a persistent, annoying sound kept bothering him. The bison tried to shut it out at first, but then he recognized it. His master's whistle! His master was calling to him! Appa was happy. If his master was blowing the whistle, that meant he was all right! Hmm...were the others with him too? He hoped so.

The whistle's sound was shrill and insistent. Appa shifted his weight, ready to head towards the sound, but his wounds would not permit it, and he sunk back down to the deck. He could not fly. Not yet. And his master was calling. This was bad...how would he get to him? Appa thought for a moment. Well, _he_ couldn't move...but that didn't mean he still couldn't come to his owner's aid.

He began rocking the boat.

Appa heard with a sense of satisfaction the cries that came from throughout the ship. The old man who had made a pact with his master and had taken him aboard earlier wobbled out onto deck. "What is it?" the man exclaimed. Now that he had gotten their attention, Appa stopped rocking. The old man looked slightly irritated as he approached him. "Yes?" he inquired.

Appa pointed his head in the direction of the sound and moaned. The old man looked in the direction, then back at him. "I do not see anything," he replied. Appa gave an impatient rumbling. He shook and nodded his head in the direction of the sound, indicating the direction he wanted the ship to head. The old man's eyebrows lifted as he understood.

He looked back in the direction Appa wanted him to go. "I'm sorry," he said, "but we simply cannot change course. There are many Fire ships in these waters now, and if we are seen, we will be taken into custody. We must remain hidden." Appa lowered his head so he was nearly eye-level with the man and snorted, blasting back the man's hair. "I understand your desire to change course," the man said slowly, "but we must–"

Appa cut him off with a loud groan. What would it take to make this man understand the importance of changing direction? He needed to know what it was they needed to change course so urgently for. The bison thought a moment, trying to come up with a way to communicate to the man that his master needed him. Finally, an idea hit him. The bison brought up one of his six massive limbs, and patted the arrow on his head several times. He watched as comprehension dawned on the old man's face.

"The Avatar!"

Finally! He understood! The man whirled and shouted to some of the men and shouted, "Prepare to change course!"

Cries of disbelief and dismay echoed around the ship. The old man waved them silent, " This beast knows where the Avatar is. It is critical we find the Avatar as soon as possible! He may have Prince Zuko with him, or knowledge of his whereabouts! We must secure Prince Zuko and the Avatar at _all costs_!" The other men looked skeptical, but followed as commanded.

The man turned to him. "You _do_ know the way to the Avatar, yes?" He nodded his head slowly in confirmation. Appa felt the ship change direction. He was on his way...he would come to his master's aid _soon_...

* * *

_Where? _Where_ were_ they? Zhao peered into the darkness, nostrils flared. They had been combing the island for nearly and hour, and still no sign of the Avatar. _Damn!_ The cover of night kept the rest of the Fire Navy out of the way, but it was making it near impossible to find the Avatar _himself_. And time was running out. 

When they had reached the island the Avatar was believed to be on, they had split up to search sections of the island meticulously, and meet back every half an hour to report. Two meetings, and they still had found no sign of him. Zhao worried. Was the Avatar on this island? He'd better be...or he'd have the skin of the soldier who pointed it out.

Zhao heard with irritation some mumbling from his men. His men were close to mutiny, he could feel it. They wanted to be brought aboard one of the navy's vessels, where they could recuperate. But Zhao couldn't afford to leave the Avatar for someone _else_ to find–that boy was his _only_ ticket to amnesty, once Lord Ozai caught wind of what happened. Mutiny, he could deal with. Ozai, he could not.

Zhao could feel himself slowly losing patience. He didn't have _time_ for this! He needed the Avatar _now! _The commander inhaled deeply and forced himself to calm down. Panicking would not help. Rationality and cunning would. Now...if he were hiding from himself, where would he go? Someplace sheltered that provided him with some advantage against anyone who might find him... As he moved forward with his men over the last remaining quarter of the island, Zhao studied the land with a critical eye... a grove of bushes? No. Perhaps in the trees? No. A dip in the ground? No. A grouping of rocks?

_Yes!_

Zhao felt glee flow through his veins. This hiding spot was _too perfect–of course _the Avatar would take refuge there! He signaled his men to surround the area and close in. They crept closer...closer...closing the distance, until they were close enough to ambush. Zhao gave the command, and they rushed in and saw...

Nothing.

Zhao stared in disbelief. No! How could they not be here? A small sound caught his ears...another one of his men noticed it too. Zhao turned around and spotted a flash of movement–a tail? He followed after it, going behind one of the larger rocks–and was met with a sharp blow to the head. Zhao was knocked to the ground by it, and another blow was landed to his ribs. He raised his head in time to see the Water Tribe boy from earlier about to land another kick. The commander caught the boy's kick, and twisted his foot, forcing him to fall to the ground. The young warrior leveraged himself by placing a hand on the ground to break the fall, and used his free foot to land a kick square in Zhao's face. Zhao let out a shout of pain, and gripped the boy's foot in a searing-hot hand. The water-warrior screamed and tried to get away, but Zhao wasn't letting go.

Frantic, the boy reached around back of him and brought out a bent blade–one Zhao had seen from a long time ago. He held the weapon point-down and stabbed it into Zhao's arm, who let go immediately with a scream. The young warrior scrambled backwards, only to be met with one of his men. The firebender made a grab for the youth, but he ducked and knocked the soldier out from under his feet with a low sweep-kick. By this time, Zhao had recovered, and threw a furious fireball at the boy. The young warrior nimbly ducked, and made to hurl his boomerang, but Zhao blew a cloud of hot smoke in his face before he could make the throw. Coughing and gagging could be heard as the Water Tribe boy stumbled around, blinded. Zhao wasted no time taking advantage of this, and charged into the smoke, knocking the bent blade out of the boy's hands with one kick and sending him sprawling to the ground with another.

The commander stood triumphant over Sokka, a flaming palm faced downwards toward him, ready to finish him off. Sokka heard some screeching, and glancing to the side he saw Aang, conscious but groggy, and Momo brought forward by some of Zhao's men.

"Sir, we found the Avatar hidden off a little in the distance, as well as this animal."

"_Excellent!_" Zhao crowed, "I must admit, you put up a good effort. Judging from your pet's ears, it must have alerted you to our presence just in time for you to make a hasty attempt to hide the Avatar. Unfortunately, it was a warning a little too late...for _all_ of you..."

Sokka glared. He wanted to _kill_ this bastard!

"Well, it was a good run," Zhao sneered, "but the Avatar is in my possession now..." Sokka looked over at Aang, who could had to be held upright by the soldiers detaining him, a look of dazed alarm on his face. "And _you_," Zhao said, his palm growing brighter, "are no longer _needed._.."

* * *

Sokka, NO! Whoa...while everyone else is scrambling around, things seem to be a little sloooow over at Camp Zutara. Well, they'll get involved soon enough...hehe. 


	8. A Commandeer

Ho! Zhao's an admiral now, is he? Damn, another inconsistency! Oh well. I'll go back and fix it when I get the chance. For now, you guys will ignore it, right? Riiight?

Speaking of Zhao, he's got Sokka in a bit of a bad spot, doesn't he? Let's watch and see who di–er, what happens, shall we?

* * *

Chapter Eight: "A Commandeer" 

Sokka watched in horror as Zhao's palm grew brighter. "And_ you_...are no longer needed..."

"_STOP!_"

Everyone turned. Several yards away, panting, stood Zuko's uncle, flanked by much of his crew.

"General Iroh," Zhao spoke smoothly, thinly veiling his irritation, "What brings you here?"

"Don't play games, Admiral. You know very well why I'm here. Let them go."

"I'm not handing over the Avatar. He is _mine_."

"You cannot take him. You are under arrest, for the death of Prince Zuko."

Zhao glared. "You have no authority to arrest me!"

"Nor did you have authority to kidnap Prince Zuko and force him into Fire waters. You must take responsibility for your transgressions...and no Avatar will save you."

"Are you saying_ I_ should pay for Prince Zuko's death? Ha! The last time _I_ checked, it was_ you three _who were responsible for my battleship's explosion!"

"We were only trying to rescue Katara and Prince Zuko!" Aang cried, beginning to struggle against the men who held him.

"Yes...until you 'blew it', so to speak," Zhao sneered.

"You son of a–" Sokka growled. Zhao shot him a warning look.

"I have as much right to have_ you _arrested as you do me, since it was _you_ who launched a treasonous assault on a Fire Nation ship," Zhao called to Iroh, "So don't waste my time blabbering under the pretenses of 'law'. If it's the Avatar or revenge you want...you'll have to take them by force." Zhao took several steps back from Sokka and assumed a fighting stance. _Iroh may be a former general, but he's getting on in his years_, Zhao thought to himself, _My men also outnumber his...I can handle him._ _He will not take the Avatar from me._

"What you are doing is very foolish, Zhao...you do not wish to fight me..." Iroh warned, a dangerous note in his voice.

"_Save it_," Zhao spat. He called to his men, "Take the Avatar and the boy to the boats. Do not let anyone..._anyone_...stand in your way." His men roughly grabbed Sokka and began dragging him and Aang out of the clearing.

"Stop them," Iroh commanded his crew, "Retrieve the Avatar! He must not be taken!" Iroh's men went into action, and a battle for the Avatar started. Flashes of orange and clangs of weapons filled the air. Zhao turned his attention to Iroh, who had assumed a fighting stance of his own and was watching him with a look of iron determination.

Zhao was the first to strike as he hurtled a fireball towards Iroh. The former general slashed downwards with his hand and cut the ball in two. The halves of the fireball flew into the trees and began to spread along the branches. Iroh quickly put them out. If any large fires were started on this island, it would definitely attract the attention of the patrolling Fire Nation ships–and that was the last thing they needed right now.

Iroh countered by throwing two simultaneous flame-arcs, making a very wide attack that was difficult to dodge. Zhao broke through the assault with the sheer force of his own firebending. The admiral pretended to fall from the attack and grabbed a fist-sized stone from the ground, consuming it in a fireball. He lobbed the flaming projectile at Iroh, knowing the old man was not aware there was a rock inside.

Iroh slashed downwards with his hand again, planning to split the fireball in two as he did last time–but instead of his hand splitting it, it was crushed by the rock hidden inside. The elder man howled in pain and clutched his fingers. He was certain one of them was broken. Zhao smirked from a distance. Iroh growled–if Zhao thought he could be defeated by _throwing rocks_, well, he was _sadly mistaken_.

The retired general knew the admiral's weakness–footwork. He had seen enough from Zuko's duel with Zhao to know the man's weak point was in his over-reliance on sturdy foot placement. Without a stance he was assured in, Zhao could not make any solid attacks and was poor defensively. Iroh decided to take advantage of that.

He swept his hand forward, spreading snaking trails of flame along the ground of the area they were fighting in. Iroh clenched his good hand into a fist repeatedly, each time making the fire surrounding Zhao close in on him. Every time the fire made an advance on his feet, the admiral had to either jump or use his firebending to counter it, keeping him too busy to make an assault on Iroh.

However, this ploy didn't work very long as Zhao caught on and quickly jumped onto one of the boulders in the nearby rock cluster, where the fire couldn't reach him. He made another large fireball in his hands, and after a short pause, threw it at Iroh.

Noticing the pause with suspicion, Iroh prepared for whatever trick may come from the approaching fireball. With an intense sweep of flame, he countered the attack, only to find second fireball hidden behind it. Really, did Zhao think he would fall for such old tricks? Iroh took in a deep breath, and blew the incoming fireball out like a candle. Frustration etched all over his face, Zhao swung his palm out and fired a long, continuous stream of fire. It hit the ground, but instead of going out with a flash, the trail of flame bounced and continued heading for Iroh.

Iroh heated his palms and blocked the fire's rapid, whip-like attacks, but every time the attack was deflected, it would always come back for more, relentless, like a cobra. The general took several steps back, but the fire followed, continuously unfurling. Well, he had to give Zhao credit–this was a very advanced technique–but he had had enough. He needed to break the ever lengthening trail of fire to stop it's perpetual assault. The flame leapt for him again, but he was ready this time, and bent over backwards as the flamed whipped above him. Iroh winced as he heard several cracks in his back. Placing his good hand on the ground to balance himself, Iroh faced his bad hand straight up and shot through the stream of flame overhead, severing it. The fire, cut off from it's fuel source, died. Iroh gritted his teeth as his bad hand throbbed with pain, and hastily stood up.

He quickly surveyed the scene before the furious Zhao could make another attack. His men were losing badly to admiral's...it wouldn't be long before Zhao's men overwhelmed them and made off with the Avatar and his friend. Iroh needed to end this fight _now_. He would have to risk drawing attention to the island by using a larger attack. The Dragon of the West inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with air. The fire inside him fed off the air, and he took on a red glow. Member's of Zuko's crew who saw this quickly got out of the way. Zhao and his men watched Iroh warily, not knowing what to expect.

He would have to aim this carefully, in order to make sure he didn't harm the Avatar and his friend. When his lungs could take no more, Iroh opened his mouth and released his attack–a massive fireball at least half the size of Appa. Zhao's men ran in fear, and Aang and Sokka gaped at the attack as they were dragged away. Zhao stared in horror at the attack rushing to greet him, before he finally snapped to he senses and ducked behind the largest rock he could find. The attack was so intense Zhao couldn't see or hear anything for several moments, and had to use every last ounce of his firebending strength to keep himself from being melted alive. When it was over, Zhao peeked over the smoldering remains of the rock he was to see a wide, smoking trail of devastation the attack had left. So hot was the attack that parts of the island's sandy ground had been turned to glass. And there stood Iroh, panting, ready and waiting.

Seeing they were _deadmen_ if they stayed, Zhao gave the order to retreat, blasting any of Iroh's men who attempted to slow them. They raced to the beach, knowing Zuko's uncle and his crew would be hot on their trail. When they at last reached the shore, Zhao saw the lifeboats Iroh and his men had used to reach the island a few yards from theirs. A little off in the distance was Zuko's ship.

And quite suddenly, Zhao had the most devious idea.

* * *

Aang and Sokka watched the shore shrink with dismay as they were rowed away in a lifeboat–one of Zuko's, to be exact. Zhao had ordered his men to take _all_ the lifeboats and start rowing out to sea...towards Zuko's ship. Aang squinted and saw angry figures waving and yelling from the shore. Admiral Zhao waved back with a smirk, then turned to his men and ordered, "When we reach the ship, keep quiet. The later the men on board realize we aren't Iroh and his men, the easier it will be to commandeer Zuko's ship!" They rowed up to the ship, and were greeted by two or three of Zuko's crew, who threw down a ladder. Zhao gave the order, and his soldiers climbed up the seized Zuko's men, then stormed the ship and brought up anyone else who might be aboard. 

"Sir!" one of Zhao's men called not five seconds after the search had been started, "There seems to be a large animal on deck...a buffalo..."

"Appa!" Aang cried happily.

"The whistle worked!" Sokka said incredulously. "That must have been how Zuko's uncle found us–Appa lead the way!"

Zhao glowered. "Kill the beast!" he ordered. After a moments thought, he indicated to Sokka and added, "As well as this Water Tribe trash!"

"NO!"

Zhao looked at Aang and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't kill them!" Aang shouted.

"You're in no position to give me orders,_ boy!_" Zhao hissed.

"If you hurt either of them," Aang threatened, "I'll do everything in my power to make your life as miserable as possible!" As if to emphasize his point, a strong gust of wind flew across the deck. Zhao and his men looked apprehensively at Aang. "If you let them go...I'll come quietly."

"Not a chance," Zhao snorted. "I'm not going to risk having them come back to rescue you..."

"Then at least leave them alone!" Aang shouted. "If you promise not to hurt them, I won't make any trouble..."

"Done," Zhao agreed, and snapped his fingers. The men holding Aang and Sokka bound them and threw them against the wounded Appa. "But if I even_ think_ you or your friends might be up to something, I will not hesitate to kill them."

Aang glared back, silent.

Satisfied, Zhao turned to those of Zuko's crew who had been left behind. "Looks like General Iroh didn't leave many men on Zuko's ship when he came after us. Pity for him." Zhao laughed, "I do hope you gentlemen enjoy a good swim, because the water is brisk, and it's quite a ways to shore!" With that, Zuko's men were shoved off the ship and into the water. "Start the engines!" Zhao barked, and they soon lurched forward, sailing further and further away from the island. After a while, all Aang could make out of the island was a dark blur.

Aang huddled against Appa. Things were going _terrible_...and he was _so tired_.

* * *

Zuko dreamed of his mother. He felt warm and _safe_. He remembered feeling that way when he had been very little, in his mother's arms. It had been a long time since he had felt this sort of..._comfort. _Zuko luxuriated in it. 

Something was amiss, though. It didn't smell like his mother. His mother always smelled of spices. _This_ smell was different–it was a softer scent than his mother's. It also smelled slightly of saltwater and B.O. The inconsistency troubled Zuko, and he pondered over it. His thinking, however, was interrupted by a chirping sound. The sound grew louder, and the image of his mother faded.

Zuko cracked his eyes open, and his ears were greeted with an irritating chirping sound. Goddamn birds.

Zuko's mind came to a screeching halt. A tree above him? Birds chirping? _What? _Why wasn't he on his ship? He vaguely wondered if perhaps this was another dream before memories bullied their way into Zuko's consciousness. Avatar. Zhao. Ship. Explosion. Island.

Zuko turned his head to the side. Waterbender.

Damn. This is not what he wanted to wake up to.

The firebender sat up, and bumped his head on the large, fallen tree overhead. Zuko swore under his breath and looked down at the waterbender. She was still fast asleep, curled in a little ball with her hand resting at her throat. He noticed how close she was sleeping to him, and realized _she_ must have been the source of warmth. He considered kicking her awake when he saw how_ bright_ it was outside of their cramped shelter.

_Shit! _he cursed to himself. If it was that bright out, that meant it was _late_ morning! They had slept in! Their chance to take advantage of the early morning was long gone! Zuko looked down venomously at Katara. It was _her fault _for making him sleep in!

The prince roughly shook at the waterbender's shoulders, who barely responded. He grabbed her braid and gave it a sharp yank, to which she woke and grumbled loudly, "OW! Momo, _knock it off!_" She rolled over grumpily and swatted Zuko in the face. When she finally saw who had woken her up, she was out of the shelter in a flash of movement. Zuko's face twitched and he slowly crawled out of the shelter.

"Sorry!" the waterbender said quickly as she stood up, "I thought you were someone else!"

"Forget it," Zuko said irritably, rising. "We need to get moving quickly. It's already late morning, which means the villagers are awake and Fire Nation ships are already ashore, so the chances of us being seen are much higher now."

"What are we going to do?" Katara asked.

Zuko sighed. "We need to get off this island and find some transportation to carry us around my nation's waters. So we're going to steal a boat."

"_Steal a boat?_" Katara cried, "But–"

"What's the matter?" Zuko said as he turned and began walking into the forest, "I thought stealing was right up your alley..."

Katara glared and followed. _Geez, you do it _one time_, and it's like you've been a thief your whole life!_

* * *

Zuko and Katara stared out from their hiding place in the bushes towards the island's docks. There were numerous people walking about, all milling around and asking The Fire soldiers who had come ashore endless questions. Loud voices and a lot of shouting could be heard. Further out, massive Fire Nation ships patrolled the waters. 

"So...which boat are we going to steal?' Katara asked quietly.

Zuko paused, considering. "The one on the far right," he answered, pointing. Katara stared at it a moment, memorizing it. "Do you know your part?

"Yes. Do _you?_"

Zuko gave her a piqued look. "Of course."

"All right..." Katara said as they both stood up. "See you soon." Zuko nodded and they parted ways.

Katara backtracked a little ways through the forest, where she was certain she wouldn't be seen, and headed out towards the beach. She checked from the foliage to make sure there was no one to see her before she made a mad dash to the water, grabbing a dried clump of seaweed as she went. Once she had reached a sufficient deepness in the water, she placed the clump of seaweed over her head and began to swim along the coast of the island. It wasn't long before the docks of the island came back into view.

She used her waterbending to help her swim effortlessly closer to the docks, all the while making sure she kept her head low to the surface of the water, so all people would see was her hat of seaweed. When she judged she was at a good distance from the docks, she stopped and treaded water. Then she focused her waterbending powers and went to work.

People on the docks scrambled and shrieked as a series of relentless waves pummeled the docks. Fishermen and small merchants hurried to make sure their boats were secure, while soldiers struggled to maintain piece and order. The waves quickly became more violent, and people gaped and panicked at the strange phenomena–it was clear as a bell outside, yet all along the docks, it was as if it were a typhoon. While people fussed and shouted and speculated, a dark figure darted completely unnoticed among them.

Zuko had been waiting for Katara to create a distraction with her waves before he stealthily snuck towards the docks, catching rides on carts and creeping through alleyways. Seeing the soldiers and villagers were preoccupied with keeping the boats tied up and undamaged, Zuko made his way swiftly down the docks and to the ship on the far right, which was for the most part unmolested by the waves. He snuck aboard and evaluated the ship. It wasn't terribly large or impressive, but that was exactly what they were looking for. Zuko, with a deft stroke of his knife, cut the rope tying the ship to dock. The firebender prince then went below deck to start the ship's engines.

He was surprised when he was met with an angry old man. He hadn't seen anybody aboard!

"Hey, you!" the old man squawked at him, looking up and down at his firebender armor, "Ain't you supposed to be helpin' them other fellas with their boats? Get to work, soldier, there ain't nothin' for you here!"

Zuko cursed his carelessness and landed an sharp, swift blow to the man's temple. The man fell the instant Zuko made contact, and the prince caught him just before he hit the floor. He gently pulled the man over his shoulder and crept out to the deck. Looking out, he could see everyone at the docks were still preoccupied with the waves. Zuko carefully went up to the rim of the boat and placed the man on the dock next to the ship. Hopefully, the man wouldn't wake up until after they were long gone from the area. They didn't need to be halted and questioned by any Fire Nation ships.

Zuko quickly went below deck again and started up the engine, then went to the helm of the ship to pilot it. Pulling out of the docks, he noticed several other ships doing the same in order to avoid the battering of Katara's waves. Good. That meant he wouldn't be noticed. He began steering further and further out to sea, looking for any signs of Katara. She had been the one who recommended using her waterbending as a distraction. When Zuko asked how he was going to find her in the water, she told him, "Don't worry, I'll find _you_."

Zuko sailed slowly, in order to remain discreet and to make sure Katara had plenty of opportunity to get aboard. He noticed the waves on the docks had died down, so she must be coming for him. Zuko heard a loud splash behind him, and turned around to see Katara on the deck of the ship, dripping wet and with a head full of seaweed. He motioned her to quickly get away from the open deck and into the small covered area the ship's helm. Zuko watched her sidelong as he steered the ship's wheel. "Did anyone see you?" he asked.

"No. I had this on," she pulled off the matted mess of seaweed from her head, "to make sure no one saw my head out in the water, and I used my waterbending to get aboard the ship quickly. You?"

Zuko scowled, "Unfortunately, yes. Some old man was below deck when I got on. I knocked him out, so he shouldn't wake up for a while. When he does, though, he's going to report his ship stolen, and people are going to come looking for it. So, we need to get as far away from here as quickly as possible."

Katara squeezed the water out of her clothes with a twist of her hand, and sent it into a nearby bucket. Plucking the last remains of seaweed out of her hair, she asked, "Okay, but after we make our getaway, then what? Are we going to look for Aang and my brother...?"

"No," Zuko answered resolutely, "We don't have the resources to do that. Before we do anything...we need to find _my uncle _and _my ship._"

* * *

Nooo, Zuko, I don't think you want to _do_ that. God, you know those Scooby-Doo episodes where everyone is running this way and that through a hallway of doors, but are always just missing each other? This fic is starting to feel like that, lol. Sorry for so little Zuko and Katara again, but that plot point needed to be set up...and besides, Iroh's ass-kickingness and Zhao's deviousness made up for it, right? 


	9. A Complication

Sorry for the long wait. Writer's block, three chapter rewrites, and lots of editing...took awhile, but you can forgive me. And this chapter, it's all Zuko and Katara! Woohoo!

Iroh, still on island: "Um, helloooo...?"

No worries, Iroh, we'll get to you soon enough! Now, on with the show!

* * *

Chapter Nine: " A Complication" 

Katara tilted her head up and took in the warm sun hitting her face. She sat along the back ledge of the bow, while Prince Zuko was busy piloting the ship at the helm. Their vessel was a small fishing boat, much like the one Sokka had been on when she and Aang had came to his rescue during a storm a while back. It had both a sail and a small coal engine for when the winds died down. They had finally been able to pick up speed after carefully sailing past the majority of Fire Nation ships patrolling and investigating the waters, and were now starting to put some distance between themselves and the island they had previously been on.

As they made their way through the island-dotted sea, Katara tried to enjoy the small moment of peace and quiet they had before facing the inevitable difficulties ahead. It was nearly impossible, however, due to the tense, awkward silence that seemed to crowd every space of the boat. A truce had been called between her and Zuko, but even after having worked together more than once, it was still tentative at best. Now that they were out on the waters, and in search of the others, the question of how long the truce would last became more pressing than ever. She knew their cooperation would cease once they finally found one of their allies, but as to what would happen once it ended remained to be seen.

Katara was brought out of her thoughts by a loud grumble. After a moment of surprised confusion, she realized_ she_ was the source of the noise! Now that she actually had a moment of free thought, her empty stomach made itself known. Katara looked around, as if expecting a dinner plate to be lying on deck, before she got up and looked over the rim of the ship. The water was too deep for any fishing...perhaps the man who owned the boat had some fish below deck?

As she walked over to the stairs leading below, she was halted as Zuko intoned, "What are you doing?" Katara glanced up to see Zuko looking over his shoulder and watching her out the corner of his eye.

"I'm going to see if there's anything to eat below deck," Katara answered, "I'm starved."

She started down the stairs, not waiting for his answer, when he spoke up again, pausing her at the second step. "Good idea," he said, "Find something for me as well." Katara nodded an descended, not sure if she should be annoyed at his command. Because it was a small boat, the space below deck was somewhat cramped. She looked around, seeing the small coal engine, stacks of equipment, piles of net, and a few barrels. After investigating the barrels, she discovered some of them contained fish. Touching the fish, she found they were still cold, meaning they hadn't been sitting around long enough to become warm, and thus were freshly caught. Good. She grabbed two large ones and brought them on deck.

"I'll stop the engine so we can eat," he called as he stepped below deck. A few moments later, he was back up, and approached Katara, holding out his hand expectantly. Katara handed him his fish, only to be annoyed when he stuck his hand out again.

"What? You have yours!" she pointed.

"Your fish. Give it to me. I'm going to cook it."

Katara cocked her head to the side slightly. "Why? These fish are fresh. We can eat them _raw_." Zuko gave her a funny look. "You've eaten raw fish before, right?" she asked.

"No. My people like to _cook_ their food before they eat it, like _civilized_ beings."

Katara glared. "Where_ I _come from, we cook many of our meats, but like to eat our fish _raw_ on occasion. It's considered a delicacy," she replied, an edge of haughty indignation creeping into her voice.

"Suit yourself," Zuko shrugged as he stabbed his fish with a small harpoon he had brought up from below deck. He lit a fire underneath it and began to cook his meal.

Katara stared at him a moment before asking, "May I see the knife?" She nodded to the knife in his belt.

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "You're not just going to bite into it?" he asked.

Katara glowered for a moment. There was only so much insult she could take. Speaking with forced calm, she responded, "_No_. And just because people have different customs than you,_ Prince Zuko_, that doesn't make them _barbarians_. Now, may I have the knife?" Zuko handed it to her and she cut her fish into small bite-sized pieces. Both ate their meals in complete silence.

Zuko was finishing the last bits of his meal when he heard a ship's horn sound in the distance. He stood upright in a flash and looked around. Off in the distance, and closing in fast, was a Fire Nation vessel! The prince cursed himself for not paying more attention to his surroundings. He rushed below deck and started the coal engine up again. Katara stood up, alarmed, and gasped at the approaching ship. Zuko grabbed her by the wrist roughly and shoved her below deck. "Stay here, and stay _silent_," he hissed, and she nodded back with round blue eyes. Zuko grabbed a cloak hung on the wall below deck and put it on quickly, pulling the hood far over his head. As he came back on deck, he briefly considered trying to make a break for it, but the repeated horn sounds coming from the ship indicated it was hailing him. To run now would only raise suspicion. Damn!

He waited apprehensively as the ship approached. It was a small Fire Nation ship, not much larger than his own; most likely used for patrol, guard, and other odd jobs. It was probably out here trying to gather information about what had happened to Zhao's ship. Zuko watched a man lean over the deck railing as the larger ship came astride to his. Judging from the style of armor, this man was a captain. The man waved and called, "You there! Fisherman! What are you doing out in these waters? It's far too deep here for any fishing!"

Zuko deepened his voice and answered, "I was just taking my catch into port, sir..."

The man scowled. "Port? The closest port is that way," he jerked his thumb in the direction of the island he and Katara had just come from. Zuko clenched his jaw as he saw other a few other soldiers peering out from over the ship's rim.

"I...I'm not taking my catch there...I'm taking what I have to another port up further north. I have family there I'm planning to see."

"Not many towns up north...," the captain responded, a slight furrow forming on his brow, "Say, have you seen anything peculiar recently? Surely you know about the accident that happened yesterday evening, right?"

"Yes," Zuko said quickly, "I did. It's tragic. Other than the whole mess this has caused, I can't say I've seen anything strange...why? What's going on? Is there something _more_ to this accident...?" Zuko held his breath. Hopefully, with the questions turned on him, the captain would quit his query and would possibly divulge some information they could use...

"No, no, nothing, simply asking," the man answered. _Hmm_, Zuko thought, _either they really _don't _have a clue what's going on, or they're keeping quiet_. Unfortunately, Zuko's inquiring didn't defer the captain from further questioning, and he continued with a suspicious tone, "Such a beautiful day out...why the coat?"

Unable to think of a feasible answer, Zuko simply shrugged.

A knot grew in Zuko's stomach as a soldier approached the captain and whispered something into his ear. The captain eyed the name of the ship printed on the side of the fishing boat and nodded. "Where exactly are you coming from, friend?" the man asked, a predatory glint in his eyes.

Shit! Did he know this ship was stolen? Zuko quickly gathered himself and smoothly responded, "Tai Ko."

"Ahh...that's not too far from here. I hope you don't mind the delay, but we would like to have a look around your ship..."

That was it. He could pretend no more–whether the captain knew this ship was stolen or was just suspicious of him in general, once access was gained to the ship they would discover _who_ was aboard...and he could not allow that to happen. Zuko turned his head slightly and whispered to Katara, "Delay them with waterbending!" The girl peeked from below deck and made a movement with her hands.

"Who's that?" the captain asked, but was cut short as a wave crashed against his ship. The ship rocked backwards from the impact, and the men aboard shouted in confusion.

Zuko looked over his shoulder and yelled to Katara, "Keep them busy!" While she attacked the Fire Nation ship with more waves, Zuko tried to maneuver the boat away. The captain noticed this and ordered his ship to move forward and cut them off. Katara managed to slow them a little, but not enough to allow Zuko enough time to slip by, and the fronts of both ships collided. The impact hardly even scratched the other vessel, but was powerful enough to rock the smaller boat and knock Zuko to his feet. He quickly got back up to take a hold of the wheel and assess the damage–only to realize his hood had fallen back, revealing his face for everyone to see.

"The scar! It's Prince Zuko! What is he doing here?" Shouts rung out across the other ship.

Zuko spat out a curse and gripped the ship's wheel. "Hey!" he shouted to Katara, "Get our engine stoked and delay that ship as long as possible!" Katara went to work instantly, putting more fuel into the engine and fanning the fire, then rushing back out on deck. She raised her arms in the direction of the pursuing vessel and moved them in a circular motion, creating an ominous looking whirlpool. The Fire Nation ship attempted to steer out of the way, but the whirlpool was too close to be avoided, and the ship began to be sucked into the current. The entire ship was turned nearly 90 degrees before the whirlpool disintegrated. Unable to continue such a demanding technique anymore, Katara resumed her attack on the ship with large waves.

While Katara helped put distance between them and the other ship, Zuko quickly debated over to do. The waterbender would eventually tire and the other, more powerful ship would catch up. The ship's speed would easily overtake them, giving them little time to hide. Not only that, but there were only a limited number of islands in the immediate area to hide around. Zuko grit his teeth. What to do, what to do?

Scanning the islands around him, Zuko's eyes came to rest offshore of the one islands in the area. It's coastline was jagged, and there were numerous rocks jutting up all around the waters surrounding it. If he could maneuver the ship through that rocky area, where the larger ship would have more difficulty following, they might be able to give them the slip.

"We're going to head through those rocks!" Zuko shouted over his shoulder to Katara.

Katara turned her attention away from the Fire Nation ship to see the area Zuko was talking about. When her eyes caught the craggy rocks sticking up out from the water, she shrieked, "Are you _insane? _You'll get us _killed!_"

"If you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it," Zuko snapped, "Now, quit whining and try to slow them some more!"

Katara glared and went back to crashing waves into the Fire Nation ship. Zuko steered the ship closer and closer to the rocks, taking glances behind him to see how quickly the other ship was gaining on them. Soon, they began to reach the first of the crags. Because the ship was fairly small, it didn't have much difficulty weaving it's ways through the dangerous waters. Zuko looked back, expecting the other ship to stop before it reached the rocks, but instead found it was only slowing down. They were going to follow them through the crags, despite the danger of having a larger ship! Zuko, however, was only slightly surprised at the persistence. After all, he was a banished prince trespassing on his nation's grounds, _and_ his arrival was in concurrence with Zhao's ship being sunk. Not to mention he was traveling with a waterbender–he was probably their _biggest_, if not _only_, lead so far.

Just the same, their persistence wasn't making his life any easier. If crag-infested waters weren't enough to defer them, what would? He and Katara couldn't play hide and seek in here forever–the risk of tearing out the bottom of the ship was too high–but if they left the rocky waters, the Fire Nation ship would be able to come after them at top speed again. There had to be some way to stop that ship. Suddenly, Zuko was struck with another one of his brilliant ideas.

Straight ahead were two massive rocks, each about double the size of the Fire Nation ship pursuing them, with a sizable space between them–enough for both their ship and the larger ship to pass through without being hit. Of course, it would be a tighter squeeze for the other vessel, but if the captain thought it would close the gap between the two ships, Zuko was certain the ship would follow them through. Then he and waterbender could spring their trap.

"You!" he shouted to Katara, catching her attention, "Do you see those rocks ahead?"

Katara nodded. "We're going to lure that ship between them. Once the ship passes between those rocks, I want you to freeze the water and trap them there!"

"_What?_"

"Did I stutter? When the ship passes between those two rocks, I want you to freeze the water around there ship and trap them in space between the rocks! Can you do that?"

"I...I've never frozen that much water before!"

"It's_ just_ in between those rocks!"

"That's still a lot of water!"

"Do you have _any _skill as a waterbender?" Zuko snapped, "No wonder your people are losing the war, with their ranks filled with utterly incompetent–"

"_How dare you_! My people–"

"We don't have_ time _for this! Either you _do it_, or we're _caught_!"

Katara looked apprehensively at the other ship, then turned back to Zuko and said, "All right. I'll _try_."

"_Good_," Zuko said as they began to pass between the rocks. The massive crags, black and rugged, slowly went by them as they made their way through the passage. Once they had passed through, Zuko sharply turned the boat's wheel back and forth, causing it to jerk as if it had been glanced by a rock hidden under the surface (earning a surprised yelp from Katara), and slowed. No doubt the Fire Nation vessel was scrutinizing his movements, and if it appeared as though his ship might have suffered damage, they would undoubtedly take the opportunity to seize him and Katara.

Zuko watched with held breath as the Fire Nation ship continued forward. As it began to pass between the two rocks, Zuko inwardly cheered–until he remembered Katara still needed to freeze those waters, or they were done for. "Do it now!" he cried.

Katara closed her eyes and concentrated. A furrow formed at her brow as the waters around the ship slowly began to crystallize. It wasn't enough, however, and the ship simply sailed through, splintering the thin ice as it went. "More!" Zuko yelled.

"I'm trying!" Katara screamed, hands shaking from the effort.

Zuko gazed up at the advancing ship with dread. At the rate Katara was creating the ice, it wouldn't be enough to stop the ship in time! She _had _to step up her waterbending–they were _both _depending on her to save them! The firebender prince paused as an idea came to him. Zuko walked up to Katara and put a tentative hand on the her shoulder. "You can do it...Katara," he encouraged stiffly, a little awkward at the familiarity of the first-name reference. He rarely, if ever, encouraged others, but he felt it was needed in the given situation and did so. It seemed to do the trick as Katara gritted her teeth and concentrated as hard as she could.

Ice began materializing faster around the ship. Soon the ice became thick enough to slow and halt the vessel. Ice crept up from the frozen water and along the sides of the boat and rocks, bracing the vessel in its place between them. Faint shouts of confusion and dismay could be heard from the frozen ship.

Katara teetered backwards slightly from fatigue, Zuko catching her and holding her upright by her arm.

"The ship's trapped! It worked!" Katara panted harshly, almost disbelieving.

"Because of your waterbending," Zuko replied, inwardly sighing with relief.

"Yeah–I did it!" she said proudly, chest heaving. She turned and gave him a genuine smile. "Your encouragement really helped. Thanks!"

Zuko blinked and averted his eyes, not quite sure how to react to the friendly expression. "Let's heat up the engine and get out of here quickly." As Zuko turned on his heel to start up the boat again, he found his hand still holding onto Katara's arm. He made a brief eye contact with her before jerking away and ducking below deck. More fuel was put on the furnace, and they sailed out to sea, leaving the craggy waters and Fire Nation vessel behind.

* * *

Zuko scanned the horizon as he steered, keeping his eyes peeled for signs of any other vessels, but saw none. It looked as though they had just managed to give the Fire Nation ship from before the slip. However, Zuko knew better than to get his hopes up. Now that there were people who knew he was here, word would get out, and undoubtedly create a plethora of new problems for him and Katara. 

The prince looked back over his shoulder, the third time in the last ten minutes. Katara was sitting nearby, exhausted from using her waterbending ability almost to its limits. Her eyes were closed and her fingers absently traced the necklace at her throat. Katara's eyes opened for a moment and caught his, before he quickly turned his gaze back to the ocean in front of him.

"You don't have to worry about me," she said, "I'm fine."

"I wasn't worried!" he snapped.

"Then why do you keep looking back here?"

Zuko paused, trying to think up an answer. "I was looking at your necklace," he said.

"I imagine you had plenty of chances to look at it when it was in your possession," she responded dryly.

Zuko gave a strange cross between an irritated frown and an amused smirk. "Hm. I was simply wondering why anyone would put up as much effort as you did to get back such a cheap piece of jewelry."

Katara sparked instantly at this. "_Cheap_? Who are you to decide it's worth? This is my _mother's_ necklace–it has _sentimental value_! Not that you would know anything about sentiment, coming from the Fire Nation!" she retorted.

Zuko glared. Hadn't she been utterly exhausted a moment earlier? And now she was chastising him? "There you go again," he argued, "damning nations you know nothing about..."

"I know _enough_," she muttered, her fingers stroking the pendant of her necklace, "I know that it was _Zhao_ and the _Fire Nation _who killed my mother in a raid two years ago."

A small bell rang in Zuko's head. Something sounded very familiar. "A raid...?"

"Yes," Katara exclaimed, taking up the opportunity to rant, "Zhao and his men raided our small town two years ago. He pulled a sneak attack to overthrow the village, and killed many of our people." Tears welled up in her eyes at the memory. "He killed my mom...right in front of me! With men like Zhao running your country, I have every right to damn it!" Katara rested her head on her knees and didn't say anything more.

Zuko stood at the wheel, absolutely unmoving. A revelation hung over him like a dark cloud. He tried to ignore it, dismiss the whole story completely, but the coincidences were too much. That couldn't have been the raid_ he _witnessed, could it? "I..I see..." he choked out.

Katara's head came back up. Zuko was surprised to see the anger etched in her face. "'_I see_'? That's _it_? Your people murdered my mother, slaughtered and oppressed my people, and all you can say is '_I see'_? _Hah_! You're prince of the _Fire Nation_, all right!" she spat. Without another word, she stormed down the stairs and went below deck, leaving Zuko alone to steer the ship.

Katara stood in the middle of the small room, fuming. Just when she had begun to think maybe Zuko wasn't entirely bad...he had to say something so unfeeling, so_ callous_, as that!

Zuko held onto the ship's wheel limply, his eyes gazing unfocused at the dark clouds gathering in the distance. _Was her tribe the one from two years ago...?_

* * *

Oh no, the drama! Next chapter, we see more of that wonderful Zutara, as well as find out what's happened to everyone else...including you, Iroh. 

Iroh: Oh, I am much relieved!


	10. A Convergence

Wow! I've gotten over a hundred reviews for "Close Combat"! This takes me to my happy place! Thanks you to everyone who left a review–you thoughts fuel me like the sweet elixir of life that is Vanilla Coke! THANK YOU!

And so, to show my gratitude, I give you chapter ten–chockfull of Iroh-y goodness! And a female captain too...because after seeing Evil-She from "The Storm", I want to see more female officers, dammit! So, without further ado, onto the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 10: "A Convergence" 

(The previous night)

Iroh stared out bleakly as Zuko's ship melted into the night. _Foolish, foolish, foolish_! Iroh cursed himself. In his haste he had been _utterly careless_. He had let Zhao escape with the Avatar. Not only that, but he had let Zhao escape on Prince Zuko's _ship! _And now he and his crew were stranded on an island, while Zhao sprinted towards Ozai with the Avatar in his hands. _Foolish!_

The old general sighed. Well, chastising himself wasn't going to fix anything. He might have made a few mistakes, but he was going to do everything in his power to rectify them. First thing was first...they needed transportation...

Iroh was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard shouts from his men. They beckoned him down the shore, where several of their crew mates had washed up, completely exhausted and freezing. Zhao must have thrown them overboard when he commandeered Prince Zuko's ship. While his men tended those who had washed ashore, Iroh asked the bedraggled soldiers what had happened. Their answers only affirmed what he already knew–that Zhao had taken Prince Zuko's ship and was heading straight for the capital. A quick count was done of the men who washed ashore, and all the men on Prince Zuko's crew were accounted for. Good.

Iroh went back to looking out at the sea, and his thoughts about transport. They needed a boat to chase after Zhao as well as search for his nephew. The old general quickly suffocated a small voice questioning if he should even bother looking for Prince Zuko. Unfortunately, there was no way they could get off this island without contacting the Fire Navy, which...

...Which actually might be an excellent idea.

Iroh thought a moment. Pinning Prince Zuko's death on Zhao would be more than enough to get the man arrested, admiral or no. If he could get himself aboard one of the his nation's ships, and tell them little half-truths portraying Zhao as the one entirely behind this disaster, he was sure he could get the ship to search out the admiral. It would be difficult to locate Zhao, naturally, since Zuko's ship was small and Zhao did not want to be found until he had successfully delivered the Avatar and earned his amnesty...but Iroh was sure if they headed in the direction of the capital, and kept a sharp eye out, they would find him.

Of course, the tricky part would be the Avatar. He somehow needed to keep the Avatar out of the Fire Navy's knowledge as long as possible. The former general would have to somehow see to it the Avatar escaped before the Fire Navy apprehended the boy–while also keeping _himself_ from being arrested. Iroh was wary to take another risk like this after all his previous ones had backfired so disastrously, but...looking at the alternatives and their outcomes, the elderly man deemed it necessary.

Well, time to set to work, then. Iroh ordered his men to start a bonfire–a _large_ one–to attract a Fire Nation ship to their island. His men stared as though he had gone completely mad, but when he told them of his plan, they enthusiastically agreed and vowed they would stay silent under questioning. It wasn't very long before a massive bonfire roared on the island, so big he and his crew had to stand back a ways in order to avoid the uncomfortable heat. The orange glow lit up the beach, and very soon afterwards, its light illuminated the faint outline of an approaching ship.

The ship's horn sounded out, hailing them, and not long after rowboats reached the islands. A group of firebenders approached them, and their leader made a beeline for Iroh, the man who appeared to be in charge. "What is this?" the man asked, "Are you stranded here? Were you involved in yesterday's incident? Who are you?"

When the man finished his string of questions, Iroh calmly replied, " I am the former General Iroh, and this is my nephew's crew." He paused to let this information sink in. The man in charge of the other firebenders cowed at his name, and Iroh heard whispers travel amougst his men. He then added, "I am indeed involved in yesterday's incident. I ask you to please take me to your ship's commanding officer immediately." Almost the instant the last word was out of his mouth, the leader of the other firebenders reverently bowed, and took Iroh and his men aboard the boats and rowed them to the ship anchored offshore. The ship was fairly large–not as massive as Zhao's battleship–but still impressive, nonetheless.

He and his men were made to wait on deck while the commanding officer was quickly summoned. Iroh made a quick scan of the deck before he felt his shoulder tapped. He turned around to find himself face to face with a female officer. Her armor made it instantly apparent that she was the one in charge of this vessel. "I am Captain Himoto. My men informed he you were the great General Iroh. I am honored to meet you," she said quietly.

"Retired general, please," Iroh smiled faintly, "And not so great..."

"You modesty precedes you," she replied politely, "But tell me: what brings you to a deserted island...and my ship?"

Iroh took a deep, dramatic breath. "Well," he began, "it seems a terrible transgression...and tragedy...has occurred."

"Involving Admiral Zhao?" Captain Himoto intoned, "It was his battleship that was reported sunk..."

"Yes. You see, Admiral Zhao had wrongfully arrested Prince Zuko and some of the crew at port Puaga. He was taking Zuko to Fire Nation waters to have Prince Zuko arrested for trespassing."

"Why would Admiral Zhao do that? Such an act is out of boundaries, even for a man of his status."

Iroh looked into Captain Himoto's scrutinizing eyes. He was going to have to be very careful with this woman. Deciding playing ignorant was his best option, Iroh responded half-truthfully, "I do not know what sparked the arrest at the time. I was not with Zuko at the time the arrest was made. I imagine their mutual distaste had a hand in it... When I was made aware of the arrests, I followed after Zhao in an attempt to get him to relinquish my nephew. He, of course, did not comply. But then..." Iroh trailed off slowly.

"Then?" the captain inquired.

"The explosion happened. I...I do not know what happened to cause it...my best guess it some sort of fight was started between Admiral Zhao and Prince Zuko occurred–mostly likely an attempt on my nephew's part to get free..." He paused. "We searched the wreckage for my nephew...but he was nowhere to be found. I...I believe Prince Zuko was killed in the explosion." Iroh swallowed. Even though he was acting, it was hard to say that sentence out loud. It brought the real possibility of it home like a punch in the stomach. After another long pause, Iroh continued. "While we searched the wreckage, we found several lifeboats ashore of one of the islands. We took our own boats and went ashore too, hoping prince Zuko would be aboard the island. Instead, we found Admiral Zhao and his remaining men."

"Did he reveal to you what happened on the ship?" Captain Himoto asked quickly.

"No. Just the opposite, actually. When we confronted him, we demanded what happened aboard the ship to cause the explosion, as well as the whereabouts of Prince Zuko, but Admiral Zhao refused to answer. A battle broke out, which Zhao and his surviving crew quickly fled. Due to my own carelessness, I had left our rowboats on the beach next to his. Zhao took all the rowboats and left us stranded on the island while he commandeered Prince Zuko's ship and sailed off. Your ship, of course, came to our rescue and, well...here we are." Iroh gave a slight shrug.

Captain Himoto stayed silent for a while, considering all he had said. "I see," she said at last, "I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm sure Lord Ozai will be equally pained about his son's death..." _I very much doubt that_, Iroh thought with a note of bitterness. "We should make a report to the other ships and my commanding officer–"

"_No_," Iroh said firmly, taking Captain Himoto a little aback, "Zhao has already taken Prince Zuko's ship and is attempting to flee. He is the only one who knows the full details of this catastrophe. We should apprehend him at once."

The captain gave him a curious look. "If we are to apprehend Admiral Zhao, it would be best to report to the Fire Navy at once, to secure better resources for his capture–"

"The best 'resource' for his capture, captain," Iroh countered, "Is quick, decisive movement. Zhao has not had Prince Zuko's ship for very long, meaning he can't have gone far–"

"Meaning we have time to alert the other ships before he makes his escape."

Iroh chuckled grimly. "No, I have seen the navy. We will be so bound up in red tape and questioning, Zhao will be long gone before we finally mobilize."

"Sir," Captain Himoto implored sternly, "I understand you're upset over your nephew's death, but..." Her words wilted under one of Iroh's looks.

"Captain," he said in a voice that offered no argument, "That is not what this is about. Admiral Zhao is the only one we know of who can give a full account of what happened on that ship. If we want to apprehend him, we must act now! We can give whatever reports are needed when we hand him over." Iroh stared her in the eye, waiting her reply.

Captain Himoto considered for a moment, conflicted. Finally, she returned his gaze an answered, "If the Dragon of the West thinks it wise to apprehend Zhao on our own, then I will trust his word on it."

"I thank you," Iroh said warmly, "Your cooperation is appreciated deeply." Wasting no time to employ flattery, Iroh added, "And with such a fine ship and crew, I have no doubts of our success."

Himoto gave a small smile before saying, " You and your men must be tired. I will have them tended for and sleeping arrangements made."

"Thank you again," Iroh said before Himoto gave a small nod and turned to give her crew orders. While his crew was being taken care of, Iroh looked out to sea. All seemed to be going well so far...hopefully their luck–and his lies–would keep up. The former general thought back to one of his fibs.._.I...I believe Prince Zuko was killed in the explosion._ He did not truly believe it...not yet...but the words still stung. He hoped his nephew was alive and well. Very much so.

* * *

Crouched in the shadows, he watched and waited. His eyes darted across the deck continually, but always returned to the same person again and again. The boy with the blue mark on his head. Aang. His human. His friend. 

Momo's round, green eyes watched alertly, keeping note of all the movement on deck. Last night, when the big fire-fight happened, Momo had escaped his captor and hid, trying to keep as close to his two human friends as possible. When Aang and Sokka were dragged away by the fire-people, Momo had stealthily followed.

Once they had reached the boats, Momo climbed on the back of one of the soldiers, completely unnoticed. Humans rarely noticed anything. He stowed away on the rowboats with the fire-people and his two friends until they reached a strange ship. When they came aboard there was a commotion, which Momo used to quickly hide in the ship's shadows. His human friends were put in shackles and thrown against the wounded bison, who, to Momo's surprise, was already aboard the ship.

Momo stayed in the shadows, watching and waiting, looking for an opportunity to free his friends. Unfortunately, no such opportunity had arrived so far. His human friends were in shackles which Momo knew, from previous prison breaks, needed a special little metal stick to open. The lemur had located a man who was carrying a ring full of them, but the deck was swarming with fire-people. Despite his own natural agility, Momo knew there was no way he could retrieve the little metal sticks without being seen. He would have to wait for a distraction to arrive. Then he could free his friends and they would fly away on the bison.

Momo paused. Where was the girl human? Was she hiding too? Aang had seemed very upset earlier...did it have something to do with the girl? Where did she go...?

* * *

Katara sat out morosely on deck, looking up at the overcast sky. There was a storm coming from the west. She could taste it in the air. But that was not what was bothering her. Katara had been in a bad mood ever since she had that spat with Zuko earlier today. To make things worse, Zuko had not spoken or even _looked_ at her since. Not that she really cared if he spoke to her or not; it was just that the tension that accompanied the silence was unbearable. 

Katara gazed up at dark clouds approaching in the distance, slowly blocking out the late afternoon sun. Zuko had changed course to move more eastwards in order to avoid them, but the dark clouds were gaining quickly and Katara wondered if they would be able to avoid the storm. _Fitting weather for the circumstances,_ she though glumly with a glance in Zuko's direction.

Zuko tried his hardest to keep his mind focused on the tasks at hand–avoid the storm, find his uncle, capture the Avatar if at all possible. He repeated them over in his head, trying to use meditation techniques to focus his mind. But it was utterly impossible. His brain had mutinied against him and now focused exclusively on two things: Katara and the Water Tribe raid two years ago.

He had been wrestling with the coincidences of her tribe's raid for the better part of a half an hour, trying to convince himself that they were simply that–coincidences. However, the more he thought about their possible connection, the more sure about it he became, until his denial evaporated and left him alone with this new revelation. Zuko stayed numb for a long time, letting things settle and waiting for the anger to arrive. Strangely, it never came. Zuko kept waiting for himself to become furious at Katara and her tribe for being the catalysts of his banishment...but...he never did. This disturbed Zuko. Shouldn't he want to yell at her for being the cause of his banishment? After all, if her tribe hadn't been so foolish and weak, he would have never made his challenge against Zhao...which ended up in a 'battle' against his father...and his exile.

But instead of being angry, he felt...relief, almost. He wasn't alone. He and the waterbender–they were _connected_. They had both been _there_, on that _same day_...the day that changed their lives forever. Zuko had never felt this sort of link with anyone, save his uncle, who had forsaken his home to accompany him into exile. It was unsettling to say the least.

Zuko wished he had time to sort this out, but as he looked at the oncoming clouds, he realized he didn't. He shook his head in another futile attempt to clear up his jumbled mind. _Fitting weather for the circumstances_, he thought darkly.

As they continued heading further east to avoid the storm, Zuko tried to focus and keep his eyes peeled for Fire Nation ships. A fishing ship out in these waters, especially on the brink of a storm, would raise questions if they came across another ship–and Zuko wasn't looking for a repeat of earlier today. As the wind began to pick up, Katara shivered and headed below deck again. The firebender prince refused to look at her, but kept his peripheral vision locked on her figure. As she went below deck, Zuko wondered, _What would she say if she knew?_ Would she applaud him? Thank him? He had spent the last two years being scorned by everyone for what he did...perhaps she would be different. The thought that there might be someone out there who would be genuinely appreciative of what he had done was...comforting.

Zuko's train of thought was abruptly halted when his eyes came upon a ship in the distance, traveling in the same direction they were to avoid the storm. Zuko cursed himself for letting his mind wander again. Hadn't they already been through enough because of his previous stupidity? He watched the ship intently and wondered whether he should alter course to put some more distance between them. Zuko stopped, and his eyes widened as he recognized the vessel. _His!_

Zuko cheered inwardly with relief. Finally, they had found his uncle! Zuko let out a long breath and called to Katara below deck, "Hey! Get up here! I've found my ship!" Katara peeked up at him questioningly as she climbed the stairs. When she was on deck, she looked in the direction Zuko pointed and spotted his ship. However, Katara showed no sign of relief–instead, she looked apprehensive. It didn't take Prince Zuko long to guess why. She was worried she would be used as bait. There was a long silence.

"Good. I think I'll stay behind on this ship, and make my own way," she said, averting her eyes.

"No. You're not familiar with Fire Nation boats, plus there's a storm coming–"

"I'll use my waterbending–"

Zuko snorted. "You can't fend off a storm at the _top_ of your abilities, much less in your tired state. It's best to come aboard my ship."

"I'm not going to be used as bait." There. She had finally breached the issue they both had been silent about since forming their truce.

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "Let's discuss that when we get there. In the mean time, it's in _both_ our best interests to get aboard my ship." And with that, he returned his gaze straight ahead and steered the boat towards his ship.

Katara took a few steps back, and watched Zuko's ship with worried eyes. She felt like she was walking into the hands of the enemy, but without any better options, she had no choice. Hopefully, something would turn up that would get her out of this mess...

* * *

Zhao scowled at the sky as fat raindrops began to pelt down on him. He wished he had altered their course sooner, but he hadn't wanted to waste any time making detours earlier. Not while he had the Avatar. This decision was now coming back to bite him in the ass, since they would have to deal with the storm creeping over them. Zhao was worried. Not about any damage that Zuko's ship might sustain–he was confident this ship would be able to sail through unscathed–but about whether the Avatar might try to use the storm to make an escape attempt. A gust of wind ripped across the deck, and Zhao shot a suspicious look at the Avatar, who was sitting slumped against his bison. Zhao was about to order the Avatar and his friend to be taken below deck to the brig and put under intensive watch, when one of his men called out to him. 

Zhao strode up impatiently and snapped, "What?"

The soldier gestured to Prince Zuko's telescope and said, "Sir, you should see this..."

Zhao put his eye up to the telescope and looked out. Inside the telescope's lens was the image of a fishing boat approaching them quickly. "What import–," he barked, then stopped when his eyes rested on a familiar face at the boat's wheel. _Prince Zuko! _For a moment, Zhao gaped in utter shock at the sight. Then, slowly, he filled with glee. For the first time in his life, he was truly happy to see Zuko. Now he was free of any retribution for Zuko's death, _and_ he could turn the prince in along with the Avatar! It was as if a gift from the gods!

Zhao straightened himself, absolutely grinning. "Take the Avatar and the other boy below deck. Then signal Prince Zuko. When comes aboard, have only the masked firebenders greet him. Keep everyone else out of sight. Once he's on board, arrest him. Oh," he added after a moment, and gestured to Appa, "be sure to cover that_ thing_ up. Understand?" The soldier saluted and relayed Zhao's commands.

Aang and Sokka were yanked to their feet and led below deck by their group of guards, Momo following behind unnoticed, eyes trained on the keys jingling lucratively from one of the soldier's belt.

* * *

Zuko heard the sound of his ship's horn hailing them, relieved that he had been spotted. He squinted at his vessel, surprised to find his uncle not waving frantically at him from the deck. Zuko worried if his uncle was hurt or ill. He hoped not. 

As they finally came astride of his ship, a ladder was thrown down. Zuko grabbed the ladder, and called to Katara, who had once more retreated below deck, "Come on, let's go." She looked up at him from the bottom of the stairs, but made no move. "I'm not asking you again," he growled, "Let's _go_." Katara reluctantly climbed the stairs and followed Zuko up the ladder leading up to Zuko's ship's deck..

When Zuko reached the top of the ladder, he was pulled over the ship's rim by two masked firebenders. He found that vaguely odd, since his men usually never wore their masks unless training or going out on a mission. When they pulled Katara over the rim as well, Zuko became alarmed as he finally noticed the insignia on the firebenders' armor.

"Prince Zuko...I'm pleased to find you alive and well..."

Zuko and Katara spun around to find themselves trapped on Zuko's ship...with Zhao!

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUN! Oh nooo, what will happen? 

Heh! I bet you guys thought I forgot about Momo, eh? I could never forget that forget that furry little head-hugger! (hugs Momo)


	11. A Crisis

Left you with quite a cliffhanger last chapter, didn't I? Sorry! Well, no worries–your patience is rewarded with a gigantanormous fight scene! Hell yeah! XD

* * *

Chapter 11: "A Crisis" 

A cold chill ran through Zuko, and it had nothing to do with the rain pouring down on them. Instead of being greeted by his uncle, Zuko found himself suddenly faced with his hated nemesis, Admiral Zhao. He had only a split second to take in the shock before the men who had helped him aboard the ship grabbed him and Katara.

"What have you done with my uncle? And my crew?" Zuko shouted to Zhao as he struggled against his captors.

"Your crew and the old man are enjoying a little vacation on an deserted island some miles from here. They won't be here to help you, boy," Zhao sneered. "But I do think you should be more concerned about _your own _predicament than theirs, though..." Zhao took a deep, satisfied breath. "It looks as if my poor luck has finally turned around, now that I have the Avatar and _this_ sniveling little traitor."

Katara and Zuko both started at the mention of the Avatar. "He's _here_?" Katara cried, "Aang is here? My brother too?" She glanced past Zhao, spotting an enormous bulk near the bow of Zuko's ship, covered in tarp and bound in rope. "_Appa?_" The bulk gave a muffled grunt at the sound of its name and shifted slightly.

Zhao's eyes settled malevolently on Katara's hopeful ones, the lines in his face deepening. _That godforsaken blue, _he snarled silently. "Take the prince below deck and have him shackled and put under guard," he growled, "Kill the girl. She's of no use to us."

Katara gasped and renewed her struggle, while Zuko's efforts to get free doubled. "Sir..." one of the men spoke up, "What about the Avatar? He might stop cooperating if–"

"Then throw the girl's body overboard," Zhao snapped impatiently, "What he doesn't know can't hurt us." As Katara was brought forward, Zhao nodded to Zuko and barked, "See to it he's gagged as well. We don't need him spilling any secrets while he's down in the brig."

Katara looked behind her, alarmed, as the soldiers attempted to bind and gag the struggling Prince Zuko. A jolt of fear raced through her as her chin was cupped roughly, and her head forced to turn back around to face Zhao. "Actually, I think I'll kill you _myself_, girl," he sneered, and formed a ball of fire in his hand. Puffs of steam hissed off the ball where the rain hit. Katara struggled harder than ever against the two men restraining her, her eyes wide with fear. Zhao paused a moment, staring intently into Katara's eyes. For an instant, Katara wondered why he was hesitating, before one of the soldiers holding her was blasted forward in a heated blaze of orange. The sudden movement knocked Katara to the ground, and she looked over her shoulder to see Zuko had partially managed to get free, and was the one behind the attack.

"_Detain him!_" Zhao bellowed. Without a moment's hesitation, Katara slapped her hand on the deck, freezing the rain-slicked surface around her and trapping the feet of the soldiers rushing to seize Zuko. She whirled around, summoning the rainwater from the air, and lashed Zhao across the face with a water-whip. The admiral's head snapped back and he clapped a hand to his face, blood trickling out between his fingers.

By this time, Zuko had managed to get free in a fury of flames, dispatching the last of the soldiers restraining him with a series of vicious kicks and punches. As more soldiers came in to apprehend him, Zuko spotted Zhao advancing on Katara, a large gash on his face and murder in his eyes. Zuko sent a fireball at Zhao, distracting the admiral long enough to give Katara a chance get away. She quickly took the opportunity and raced to his side. More soldiers filled the deck and those who had had their feet trapped in Katara's ice freed themselves. Zuko looked around warily. Shit. They're were greatly outnumbered, and many of Zhao's crew were skilled firebenders. Their situation looked hopeless–there was no chance they could fend them all off–

_Unless_...unless there was an attack they couldn't defend well against...one that could cripple them all at once...

"Katara," Zuko hissed quickly as Zhao and his men closed in, "when I tell you to, spray a long blast of water right into that group of soldiers."

"What?" she hissed back, "What is any water going to do to–"

"Just do it–NOW!"

Katara jumped a little and summoned a stream of water from the ocean and propelled it forcefully towards the group of firebenders approaching them. The moment before it hit the soldiers, Zuko blasted the water with a torrent of fire, steam exploding outwards from the point of contact. The soldiers before them screamed in agony as the scalding steam rushed past. Zhao was one of the few with presence of mind and reflexes to repel the steam with a burst of fire, evaporating it completely before it could burn him.

Before they could renew their attack, Zhao leapt forward and landed a brutal kick to Zuko's chest, sending the prince crashing to the floor. Zuko's head smacked hard against the deck, and he gasped, rainwater falling into his open mouth. The stars before his eyes barely had any time to clear before he saw Zhao's foot coming down on him in a savage axe-kick. Zuko managed to roll out of the way just before the admiral's heel slammed loudly against the deck. The firebender prince swung his legs around to preform a sweep-kick, knocking Zhao's feet out from under him.

Zhao landed with a _thud_ and Zuko took the opportunity to get to his feet and attack. However, the deck was slick from the downpour of rain and Zuko's footing slipped, causing him to fall back to the floor. Zhao laughed nastily as he curled up into a tight ball and unloaded like a spring, sending a fireball hurtling out from his feet and straight towards Zuko.

The prince only barely managed to block the attack in time. Zuko sharply inhaled as he felt some of the skin on his arms burned. He looked up to find Zhao towering over him, water dripping down from his snarling face and loose strands of hair. The admiral raised his hand, preparing to finish Zuko where he was sprawled, when suddenly water streamed around Zhao's head and encased it completely! Zuko gaped as Zhao clawed uselessly at the water that had engulfed his head.

The prince turned and saw Katara standing with one arm outstretched, her fingers curled in as if holding an invisible ball in her hand. Her blue eyes blazed.

* * *

Zuko watched, stunned, as Katara held the ball of water surrounding the admiral's head, cutting off his air supply. Zhao's hands grasped at the water, trying to free himself, but his fingers simply slipped through the liquid, useless. He could see the fear on Zhao's face even through the water's distortion. Some of Zhao's men rushed forward to apprehend Katara, but before they could reach her, she shouted, "One more step, and I'll force water down his throat and drown him for sure!" 

The soldiers halted apprehensively. "Now," she said, "Drop your weapons and put your hands on the deck!" Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was using Zhao as a hostage! The soldiers hesitatingly complied, and Zuko staggered to his feet, incredulous. It had actually worked!

All that was left was Zhao.

Fear clutched at the admiral as he realized how completely at the mercy of this girl he was. There was too much water to attempt drinking it, and the liquid's intangibility rendered his hands useless. Zhao briefly considered using his fire to evaporate the water, before realizing he would probably boil his head in the process. And his men, it appeared, were being forced to stand down. The only way he could hope to escape from drowning was if the girl released him.

Zhao ordered himself to calm down. The pounding pulse in his head and chest slowed; though whether that was from his forced calm or the effects of slow suffocation, he was unsure. Through the water that surrounded his head, Zhao could make out the distorted image of the girl._ Katara. _Would the owner of those soft blue eyes from two years ago actually be able to _kill _him like this? He doubted it. But then again, he had murdered her mother... A burning sensation spread through his lungs. Who knew that _water_ could make someone feel as though on _fire_?

Katara watched Zhao, the image of his face hard to see from the raindrops that spattered and splashed the surface of the water-sphere she maintained. Still, she could tell he was afraid. He would run out of air soon, and collapse. If she kept the water around his head long enough, he would die. She could _kill_ the man that killed her mother. That burned her village. That caused her and those she loved so much pain. She _could_...

A long pause. Katara's hand wavered. She _couldn't_.

The water around Zhao's head quivered and fell to the deck with a splash. The admiral raggedly gasped for breath, barely able to stand for lack of air and the ship's rocking. He stared at her, uncertain for a moment, before a look of triumph spread across his face.

"Couldn't do it, could you?" Zhao gloated hoarsely, though he took a defensive stance. "That is what makes your people so _weak!_"

"My people are not weak!" Katara shouted, "My people are strong because they show mercy! Because they value life!"

Zhao gave a small signal with his hand, and the firebenders who had been forced to stand down before now rose. "Yes, well, because of your 'strength', you've lost your one trump card and your only chance to avenge your people. If it were me, girl, I wouldn't have hesitated."

"I'm not _like_ you," Katara replied coldly.

* * *

Aang looked up as he heard a commotion on deck. He was sitting with Sokka in Zuko's small brig, under the careful watch of several guards. The noises above grew louder and shouting could be heard. A few of the guards shifted uncomfortably, wanting to know what was happening, but not daring to leave their post. The door to the brig suddenly burst open and a soldier from above barged in and shouted, "Quick! We need some of you on deck to help seize Prince Zuko and the waterbender!" 

Sokka and Aang leapt to the bars of their cell, looking nearly hysterical with excitement and happiness. "_KATARA?_" they cried asked at the same time.

"Sit down!" shouted one of the guards, "Don't make any trouble, or–_hey_!"

The soldier was cut off as a streak of white fur flew past him, effectively snatching the keys off the belt of the guard standing next to him. Momo had finally found the right moment to strike. The lemur flew in between the bars of the prison, circling inside the cell once before coming to land on Aang's head, keys in paw.

"Momo! You're alright!" Aang cried with glee.

"_HEY! _Stop!"

Aang's attention immediately turned to the approaching guards. He quickly took the keys from Momo and tossed them to Sokka. Thrusting his hands forward, the Avatar sent the guards crashing into the back wall of the brig with a powerful wind blast. Sokka took the keys and unlocked the door, freeing them. Before the guards could recover, Sokka raced to the locked trunk which held their belongings. After trying out three keys, Sokka finally found the right one and opened the trunk. He tucked his knife and boomerang into his belt while tossing Aang his staff. By then, some of the guards had managed to stagger to their feet, only to be knocked down by another potent blast of Aang's wind.

Aang and Sokka practically flew up the stairs, powered by the need to see Katara. They burst out onto the deck, both their eyes racing across the scene until they spotted her surrounded by firebenders. Aang blinked several times against the rain, making sure what he was seeing before him was really Katara, and not some hopeful fantasy. But she was there. She was real. She was _alive_. The Avatar felt as though he could have flown to the moon and back he was so filled with happiness. His elation was dampened, however, upon seeing the dire situation Katara was in, as well as the pained expression on her face. He had to save her!

Aang and Sokka's loud entrance on deck, however, alerted nearly everyone to their presence. Katara's gaze turned in the direction of the noise they created and saw them. "_SOKKA! AANG!_" she cried. Her tears of joy were hidden by the rain that pelted down on them. Zuko saw her expression and wondered for a moment what it felt like to _be_ that happy.

The reunion was ruined when Zhao roared, "_They've escaped! SEIZE THEM!_"

The firebenders that had been closing in on Katara and Zuko now turned their attention to Aang and Sokka. As the soldiers attempted to apprehend them, Katara cried to Zuko, "Come on, we have to help!" Before either of them could make a move, however, Zhao shot an intense blast of flame to cut them off.

"You aren't going anywhere _either_," he snarled.

* * *

"Sokka, get Appa uncovered and untied! I'll take care of these guys!" Aang shouted while deflecting a fireball with a flurry of wind. 

"Right!" Sokka shouted back. Aang thrust forward with his hands, knocking several firebenders off their feet and creating an opening for Sokka. The Water Tribe warrior raced through, nimbly dodging the attacks the firebenders made to stop him. Sokka was tempted to come to the aid sister, who seemed to be facing off with Zhao alongside Zuko, but resisted it. Katara could take care of herself–and she had that crazy prince with her. They needed Appa _now_.

He rushed over to the shifting bison covered in tarp and bound in rope. Appa was squirming under the material, agitated by the loud noises and ship's rocking. Sokka whipped out his knife and cut the ropes. Once they were out of the way, he was pulled off the tarps, the last of them wrapped tightly around Appa's head. He tugged it off in one quick motion, asking, "How did you manage to breathe in that thing, big guy?" Appa gave a disgruntled snort. "Can you fly?" Sokka asked quickly. The bison rolled one eye up warily at the sky. It was hard enough flying in storms without wounds–and he had many. Seeing the chaos on deck, however, and his master battling a whole group of firebenders, Appa decided he would just have to do it. He gave an affirmative grunt. Sokka hopped on his back and grabbed the reins. "Thanks buddy, we owe you. Yip yip!"

With a pained effort, Appa launched himself into the air. The loss of his weight on deck rocked the ship violently, and nearly everyone fell to their feet. Zhao whirled and spotted them, then screamed to his men, "_Bring that thing down!_" The firebenders attacking Aang turned on Sokka and Appa and began shooting fireballs. The bison managed to dodge them, barely, before Aang came to the rescue and overwhelmed the firebenders with a fury of wind. When he had managed to knock most of them to the ground, Aang changed his staff into flight mode. Momo quickly jumped on his back, and with a giant leap, Aang propelled himself into the air and soared towards Appa.

When he landed on the bison's back, he yelled, "Appa! We have to get Katara! Fly down to that side of the ship!"

* * *

"_Bring that thing down!_" Zhao screamed. Zuko took up Zhao's moment of distraction to launch an assault on the admiral, blasting him with a blaze of fire. Zhao managed to dodge the attack at the last second, missing the fireball by inches. He glowered at Zuko before preforming a sweep-kick, sending a low-to-the-ground arc of flame racing towards the prince. Zuko leapt over the fire, but turned his attention to Katara when she yelped, having nearly been burned by the wide attack. He needed to get away from her, so she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire and– 

A fireball connected with Zuko's chest and sent him smack into his ship's railing. Zuko gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. "You should pay more attention, Prince Zuko," Zhao smirked, "and not get so caught up in some little girl's troubles. What does some Water Tribe trash matter to you, anyway?"

"I could ask you the same question," Zuko retorted, and the admiral's face darkened. Zhao was about to land a crushing kick on Zuko when he was tripped with a spray of water. The admiral hit the deck hard and Zuko gave Katara quick look of thanks. Zhao didn't stay down long though, as he rolled off his back and swung his foot in Katara's direction, sending a fireball straight for her. Zuko leapt forward and took the brunt of the attack, using his forearms to fend off the blistering heat. Zhao didn't let up, however, and launched another fireball before Zuko was even finished dealing with the first one. The force of the second attack, coupled with the first one, was too much for Zuko to bear, and he stumbled backwards, past Katara...

...and right off his ship's railing.

"Prince Zuko!" Katara cried as Zuko plunged into the inky, raging waters below. Zhao looked slightly dismayed. Dammit! He had just wanted the boy knocked unconscious and out of the way–not thrown overboard!He should have known the prince was too weak to handle his attacks! Zhao's concerns, however, were interrupted by a much more pressing problem. The Avatar.

Appa lowered himself down to the edge of the ship where Katara was and hovered. Aang stretched out his hand to Katara, who was gripping the ship's railing tightly and looking into the sea. "Katara!" he cried, "Grab on! Let's go!" Katara hesitated. Zhao sent a fiery blast at Aang, who deflected it with a sweep of wind. "Come on, Katara!" Aang shouted, sounding desperate, "We gotta leave while we still can!"

Katara looked into the water below. She couldn't leave Zuko to drown down there! It wasn't right! "I'm sorry, guys," she said with a determined look on her face, "I'll catch up with you later." And with that, she jumped overboard.

"_KATARA!_"

* * *

The black water that surrounded Zuko was terrifying. He couldn't breath, couldn't see, couldn't hear. The water pressed all around him and threw him about at its will. Rarely in his life had he felt so helpless as this. Dimly, he was reminded of the time he had become and inadvertent victim of one of Katara's crushing waves. Of course, this was no waterbender's work, but the wrath of nature, making it all the more frightening. Zuko resisted the crushing feeling of the water and tried to determine which way was up, but couldn't...everything was moving and his brain was getting fuzzy... 

Zuko vaguely felt a pressure around his waist, and jerked as he was yanked roughly in some direction. Suddenly, he heard a vast roaring noise and found he could breath again. He coughed several times as he cleared his air passageways, and was slapped hard on the back a few times. It took several moments for his brain to start working again, and realize the person who had come to his rescue was Katara. Zuko stared uncomprehending at Katara. She said something to him, but he couldn't make out the words, still too stunned from nearly drowning and discovering that Katara had _saved _him.

Katara looked about her frantically. She could see Zuko's ship, rocking amongst the storm's waves, as well a white blur that Katara knew was Appa. The blur grew smaller and smaller, meaning the Aang and Sokka were fleeing the scene. Good. They would be safe.

A violent crash in the water reminded Katara she needed to worry about her own safety too. She struggled against the ferocious, churning water, using her waterbending to help keep her and Zuko afloat. They needed to get out of this water, or they were done for. Either that, or Katara would have to bring them back to Zuko's ship...and into the hands of Zhao again. Mercifully, off in the distance, Katara spotted their fishing boat. It must have been carried off a ways in the storm. She thrust her hand in the water, jetting them towards the boat. She repeated the motion several times, dragging the groggy Prince Zuko along with her. When they close enough to the vessel, Katara thrust _downwards _with her palm, launching them out of the water and onto the deck of the boat.

The landed hard on the deck, Katara on top of Zuko. The prince gasped and coughed from the impact, and Katara quickly got off. She patted his cheek, trying to rouse him. Even on her hands and knees, she had a hard time balancing–their small boat was no match for the waves that lurched and crashed all around. "Zuko!" she cried, "Snap out of it! I need help piloting this boat! You know how to work boats like these better than me! Please, I need your help!"

The prince groaned and opened his eyes. Zuko had managed to make out what she had said, but he was so tired and sore all over... He looked up into her worried face, so close to his own. He could see himself in her eyes. Strange...were they always that blue? Zuko gave a grunt and rose unsteadily, Katara putting her hand along his back to help him up. They stood and shakily made their way to the boats wheel. Once Zuko had a steady grip on it, Katara said, "I'll go start the engine." She then wobbled down the stairs to start up the fires below deck.

Zuko shook his head, trying to clear it. They needed to get out of these dangerous waters. If these waves got any bigger, they would be in danger of capsizing. Through the rain, Zuko could make out a ghostly image of an island. Hopefully, they could find some shelter along the shore. If they could not...there was a very good chance this storm would tear their boat apart...

* * *

Aang clutched at Appa's fur, desperately looking down at the agitated sea. Katara was nowhere to be seen. "Sokka! We have to go back! Katara's down there!" he yelled, nearly sobbing. 

"Aang, we can't do that! Appa can barely fly as it is! We need to find an island to take cover on until this storm blows over!"

"But Katara–"

"Katara's fine! She's gotten this far, hasn't she? She wouldn't have jumped into the water unless it was something important and she knew she could make it out!" Sokka shouted back, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

Aang swallowed and nodded. He had finally got to see Katara again, after he had thought he had lost her, only to have her ripped away once more. Aang hoped Katara was okay. The Avatar wasn't sure he could handle losing her twice. But Sokka was right. They needed to find shelter. He searched the ocean, squinting against the rain, until he spotted the faint image of one in the distance. Aang pointed and called to Sokka, "Hey! There's an island!"

Sokka peered in the direction Aang pointed and yanked Appa's reins to the side. "Great! Think you can make it, Appa?" The bison groaned mightily and soared towards the island. The water tribe warrior looked back on Aang and called reassuringly, "Don't worry, Aang, I bet we'll find Katara sooner than you think."

* * *

That's a lot of action. Next chapter, we'll be switching gears a little, and finally see some romance! And we'll find out just what exactly happened to Zhao afterwards... 


	12. A Confusion

So, here it is, chapter 12! I'm a little iffy on this chapter...and by 'a little' I mean 'a lot'. Hopefully, I've managed to make the quasi-romance plausible...it wasn't easy. Writing Zutara is like writing against the natural order of things. ;P

* * *

Chapter 12: "A Confusion" 

Zuko's eyes traveled along the shore, looking for any place for their boat to take shelter. At last he found what he was looking for: a small inlet on the coast of the island, its waters relatively unmolested by the storm. _Finally_, some luck in their favor! Zuko steered their boat towards the tiny cove, careful to avoid hitting any rocks along the way. As they sailed into the inlet, Zuko noticed the boat's rocking decreased significantly. The waters were still choppy, but at least they wouldn't have to worry about their boat capsizing or sinking. Zuko pulled a lever off to the side of the wheel, which opened a trapdoor in the boat and lowered the anchor. Once the boat was secured, Zuko stepped out from the small covered space around the ship's wheel and went below deck.

The warm, still air below deck was a welcome change from the cold, blustery air on deck. Katara had let the engine's fires die down since they were no longer moving, and the coals inside the engine smouldered slowly, heating the small room pleasantly. Zuko slumped into a sitting position, his body screaming at him for his carelessness. He winced slightly and moved into a more comfortable position, which was difficult to find, considering the beating he had taken from Zhao and the storm. The firebender prince let out a long breath and tried to organize his thoughts. He needed to come up with some sort of plan that would help them deal with these new circumstances. His brain, however, refused to cooperate, and his thoughts stayed scattered.

"Where are we?" Katara asked quietly.

"In the cove of some island," he answered without opening his eyes, "We should be safe here. For now."

"Ah," she answered softly. Katara studied him for a minute and said, "You look terrible. Would...you like me to heal some of your wounds with my waterbending again?"

Zuko opened his eyes, regarding her for a moment. She must have been exhausted from using so much of her waterbending in one day, yet she was still offering to heal him using her bending powers? After a short pause, he quietly answered, "Yes." Katara blinked, a little surprised he didn't put up more resistance. As he scooted more towards the center of the room, Katara opened the door leading up to the deck a little to let some rainwater in. When she had collected a sufficient amount, she closed the door and walked over to where Zuko now sat. Sitting down herself, Katara isolated a small part of the water she now held, and formed it into a ball. "Here," she said, "Drink this. Although you've probably had more than enough water for one day, huh?" Zuko weakly tried to return her smile, but it came out a grimace instead. He bent forward and drank from the water-ball she levitated, finding the act strangely intimate. After he had had his fill, he turned around and unlatched his chest armor and took off his shirt, signaling to Katara to begin her water healing.

The icy-cool of the water was a wonderful relief to the ache of his bruises, burns, and cuts. Zuko couldn't keep a sigh of gratitude from escaping him. The cold water worked softly over his wounds, numbing the pains of his previous battle. The burn marks on his skin slowly began to disappear, and the bruises became a little fainter. While her water worked its healing powers on him, Zuko found his mind dwelling on Katara and how she had rescued him from drowning. What could have motivated her to do that? The question nagged persistently at him, until he could keep it to himself no more.

"Why did you save me? You could have been helping your friends escape," He finally asked, breaking the silence.

Zuko couldn't see her face, but he knew she was smiling. "My friends were already on Appa when I jumped overboard. They didn't really need my help."

Zuko frowned. In a more demanding tone, he asked, "So, you could've left with your friends and flown to safety, but instead chose to save me. _Why?_"

Her hand paused on his shoulder blade. "It's like I said before, when we were on Zhao's ship. I don't abandon people. I couldn't just _leave_ you." She waited a moment, seeing if he would answer, but Zuko stayed silent. Assuming his silence meant the conversation was over, Katara went back to water-healing.

For Zuko, however, it was far from over. His mind was in an flurry, trying to figure Katara out. She had saved his life on Zhao's sinking ship, provided him with water-healing, helped him steal a boat, saved them both from being arrested by that one Fire Nation vessel, had saved his life _again_ by rescuing him from drowning, and here she was now, water-healing him once more! Why did she do all this? Certainly, they were both on the same side at the moment, but that didn't obligate her to do a_ fraction _of what she did! Like saving him earlier—she could have flown away with her friends. And with him drowning, she would have had one less enemy!_ Why? _There was absolutely _nothing_ for her to gain by helping him! People didn't just _do_ something for _nothing_. The only person who had _ever_ done something without expecting anything in return was his uncle, but that was because he cared...for...him...

Zuko's thoughts abruptly halted as he came to a tentative conclusion. Did Katara _care_ for him? It seemed highly unlikely at first, they were enemies after all, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Before he had been banished, and was still living at the palace, people used to go out of their way to do nice things for him. But, of course, they always had ulterior motives: they wanted to gain favor with his father, or were planning to get in good graces with the future Fire Lord, or were hoping to profit off his position, or something of the like.

It had irritated him, everyone being so false all the time, and he remembered the day he had finally snapped while playing Pai Sho with his uncle.

"Uncle, why are you bothering to play this stupid game with me?" he had demanded.

His uncle frowned. "Prince Zuko, Pai Sho is not a 'stupid' game, it is a game that employs strategy and–"

"But _why_ are you playing with me?" The younger Zuko folded his arms and shot his uncle a nasty look. "If you think my father is going to _reward_ you for spending time with me, you can think _again_."

He remembered the very sad look his uncle had given him. "Prince Zuko, I do not expect nor want any reward from my brother. Being with you is reward enough."

They had been close ever since.

Zuko's mind came back to the present. Was it the same with Katara? Did she do all those selfless deeds because she had affection for him?

_You're a person before you're a firebender._

Her words from before which had so strangely touched him came back into mind. What did that mean, exactly? That she saw him as more than a firebender? More than a prince? That she viewed him as a person? As_ himself_? And _cared_ for him? Zuko felt his chest clench a little. He had never received _genuine_ affection from anyone outside his uncle–not even from his own _father_. The thought of another person, someone of his own age—someone he _respected_—_cared_ for him that way... Zuko felt another clench in his chest, this one harder.

He suddenly become acutely aware of Katara's movements. He felt the way the water smoothly glided along his skin, its cool feeling relieving the ache from his earlier battles. Her fingertips brushed against him every once in a while, and after a while, it was hard to discern Katara's touch from the water. A droplet of water trickled down his spine. Zuko swallowed thickly.

"Well, that's the best I can do," Katara said with a sigh. "Hope you feel a _little _better, at least." Zuko turned and stared at Katara. The waterbender looked nervous at the strange expression on his face. "Uh...you okay?"

"Did you mean it?"

The waterbender tilted her head to the side, confused. "Huh? Mean what?"

"That you see me as a person."

Katara's brow beetled slightly. "Yes..."

"And all those things you did–saving my life and healing me–you did them because you _cared_?" Zuko pressed.

Katara hesitated, not exactly sure how to answer the question_. What _exactly what Prince Zuko getting at? "Well, yeah...but I always–"

Her answer was cut short as she suddenly found herself in close proximity with Zuko. Katara tried to back away, alarmed, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

"For me?"

Katara stayed silent a long time, stunned. Finally, she found her voice. "W..._what_?" she stammered.

"I asked..._do you care for me?"_

* * *

"General," Captain Himoto addressed Iroh as she approached, "We have been making excellent time. However, there is a storm passing up ahead. It will be mostly over by the time we get there, but I would like to slow the ship's speed down all the same. For safety's sake." 

"Yes, yes, of course, captain," Iroh replied cordially. "I do not mind if we slow the ship a little while we enter rougher waters."

"The storm ahead has been moving quickly. If Zhao was heading south, there is a good chance he was caught in the storm. This may have delayed him, and might have given us a chance to catch up," the captain added.

Iroh started, surprised to find the captain thinking the same thoughts as he. "Well, we can certainly hope," he responded, keeping his tone light.

The captain nodded her head. "I merely wished to keep you up to date. If you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend." Himoto made a short bow and walked off.

Iroh turned and watched the dark clouds as they lumbered across the sky. If Zhao was indeed caught up in the storm, they would undoubtedly catch up to him within the day, possibly within a few hours. Iroh walked over to his men, who stayed in a group on deck, out of the way of Captain Himoto and her crew. They had managed to get some rest to recover from yesterday, as well as receive medical treatment from the ship's doctors. All in all, they looked wholly better.

The expression on Iroh's face immediately alerted the men to attention. They stayed silent, waiting for Iroh to speak. "It seems," he said quietly, making sure he was out of earshot of Himoto's crew, "That there is a good chance we will be meeting up with Zhao today." Disgruntled mutters came from his men. "If that is the case, then there is also the problem of the Avatar being discovered," he continued, eyes shifting across the deck, "We need to find a way to make certain the Avatar does not stay prisoner..."

"But sir," Lietenant Jee countered, "Don't we _want_ the Avatar captured?"

"Yes," Iroh said slowly, "But we want him captured by Prince Zuko. Should Captain Himoto or Admiral Zhao or anyone else turn the Avatar over to the Fire Lord, Zuko's only chance to regain his honor will be lost. Meaning, if we do come across the Avatar in Zhao's possession, we may be forced to resort to sabotage to ensure the Avatar escapes to freedom..." Of course, this too was only a half truth. Iroh was no more eager to see Zuko turn in the Avatar than anyone else. However, he wasn't ready to admit that to his men, especially while on one of the Fire Navy's ships.

"So, what are we going to do?" one of the men asked.

Iroh sighed. " I am not sure. We will have to wait and see. We'll decide what to do when and if Zhao and the Avatar are found..."

The general nodded, indicating the discussion was over. The men went back to whatever they were previously engaged in, and Iroh went back to casually strolling around the deck, as if nothing had happened.

Below deck, directly underneath where Iroh had informed his men had spoken, stood a soldier with his ear pressed to an empty drainage pipe. Behind him stood Captain Himoto, arms crossed and a stern look on her face. "Well?" she prompted.

"From what I've heard," the soldier began, "It looks as though Admiral Zhao has the Avatar in his possession." He relayed the rest of what he heard to her, nearly word for word what the old general had said.

"Hmm. I knew this whole situation sounded a bit strange...It appears I was wise in putting General Iroh under close supervision. Keep an eye on him. I shall have the men readied for when we meet Admiral Zhao...and his _captives_..." Captain Himoto turned and walked away, her boots echoing lightly in the small metal hallway.

* * *

Sokka peered down at the island below. He could see the it was mostly covered in trees. If Appa was going to land, they needed to find a clearing. At last he managed to discern a lighter patch of green amongst the trees. He shook Appa's reins and guided the bison down, squinting against the rain. The bison landed in the small field, a bit harder than they all would have liked. Appa groaned an rolled over, clearly in pain. "It's okay, buddy," Aang said, petting Appa's head after he had hopped off, "You did great!" Appa groaned in response. 

"Well, Appa's not going to get any better sitting here like this!" Sokka remarked. "Let's get him under the trees and out of the wind and rain." Aang grabbed Appa's reins and led the bison out of the clearing and into the wooded area where the branches provided meager shelter.

Somewhat out of the rain, Appa sank down to the ground with a grunt. "How ya doing?" Aang asked, petting his head again. The bison gave a quick shake of his body, drenching everyone near him with excess water from his fur. Momo quickly scampered underneath Appa's head, using the giant's bulk as shelter. Sokka and Aang followed, feeling a bit guilty for Appa. "Don't worry, boy," Aang said as cheerfully as he could manage, "This storm should be over soon. We'll get you all checked out in the morning." Appa moaned his appreciation.

"_And_ we'll start our search for Katara," Sokka added pointedly. Aang smiled weakly. The nearest island to Zhao's ship was this one. It was too far to swim, and Aang was pretty sure Katara didn't have spare flying bison. Nor had he seen any boat around Zhao's while he was fighting the firebenders. Did she make it back on Zhao's ship? What did she jump overboard for? Aang put his chin on his knees. He didn't know.

* * *

Katara stared, completely dumbfounded, at Zuko. "_What?_" she asked again. 

"Do I need to repeat myself?" he hissed, irritated. Katara opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. She looked down and stayed silent for a while. "_Well?_" he asked.

She tugged her wrist free. "Ah...well...I care," she stuttered, "but I don't care _for_ you... in _that_ way..."

Zuko blinked. He looked as though he had been hit. The expression on her face, as though the thought having any affection for him was utterly ludicrous, stung. The prince stood up quickly, trying to think of what he was going to say next. When he saw the waterbender flinch slightly, he thought, _Does she actually think I'm actually going to _hurt _her? _A scowl set deep on his face, Zuko grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. He left his armor on the floor and laid down on the far side of the room. "We should get some rest. Go to sleep."

"But..."

"Good_night_."

Katara stared at his back for a moment, uncertain. Finally, she found a sleeping spot on the floor and quietly laid down to sleep.

Zuko stared sullenly at the wall. Why did her answer hurt? He shouldn't have gotten carried away and assumed...but what the hell was he supposed to think? She had done all that stuff for _his_ sake...how was he _not_ supposed to think she had feelings for him? Zuko shifted uncomfortably—his chest felt tight.

Well, forget it. If things weren't that way, so be it. He could go back to the old animosity with no problem at all. Zuko closed his eyes and went into a troubled sleep.

* * *

_Gone_. The Avatar and Prince Zuko were gone. 

_DAMMIT!_

Zhao stood, heaving, on the deck of his ship. The Avatar had long since flown off, and both Prince Zuko and the blue-eyed girl had gone overboard. Now he was right back to where he had started after his ship had blown up. He cursed having ever arrested Zuko. No prince, however much Zhao hated him, was worth this much trouble.

Not to be deterred, however, Zhao decided his best chance of making it out of this terrible situation was to go after the Avatar. That flying monstrosity was wounded, plus there was the storm to contend with, so they couldn't have gone very far. He and his men would check every island, if they had to, to find that wretched boy. Zhao barked the order to his men to get the ship moving, as well as to have any maps of the Fire Nation on this ship brought to him.

However, his orders were interrupted by the shouts of one of his men. "Sir," the soldier called, his eye peering into Prince Zuko's telescope, "There appears to be a ship approaching!"

Zhao swore at his persistent bad luck. A ship? Now? Well, they were far enough away from his sunk battleship to avoid any questioning on that part. Perhaps, if he could smooth talk his way out of any suspicions, the other, larger vessel would leave them be and he could continue on his hunt for the Avatar. The ship hailed him with their horn and came astride Zuko's vessel. Zhao hoped that he and Zuko's ship wouldn't be recognized.

However, as a certain face came into view over the railing of the other ship, all hope of that happening vanished.

* * *

As Iroh looked down on Zhao's horrified and outraged face, the former general couldn't help but feel a deep satisfaction inside. Captain Himoto, once she had confirmed with Iroh this was the ship they were looking for, immediately ordered for Zuko's ship to boarded and Zhao, along with all his men, to be arrested. Her orders were carried out, and met with little resistance, except on Zhao's part. When Iroh stepped aboard Zuko's ship with Captain Himoto, Zhao was absolutely livid. 

There was also no Avatar to be found. Iroh noticed, however, that there _were_ signs of a struggle. It appeared the Avatar had escaped. Iroh cheered inwardly, while keeping his face set in a stern expression. Now, if he could just find out about Prince Zuko...

"Release me!" Zhao shouted to Iroh.

"Ah, admiral, excellent to see you again," Iroh responded pleasantly.

"You _have no authority _to arrest me..."

"On the contrary," Captain Himoto interrupted. "Stealing a Fire Nation vessel, while fleeing and withholding valuable information is more than enough to have you arrested, admiral or no."

"I didn't _steal _this vessel, _captain_," Zhao spat, "I _commandeered_ it. And as for withholding information, General Iroh is about _twice_ as guilty as I." He gave a twisted smile. "I haven't heard one word of the Avatar spoken so far. I bet he conveniently failed to mention that, didn't he?"

"What Avatar?" Iroh said with a frown, as if addressing someone who had gone out of their mind. Himoto watched Iroh out of the corner of her eye.

"'_What Avatar_?' Look at the damage on this ship! _Where_ do you think it came from? The Avatar and Prince Zuko!"

"Prince Zuko?" Iroh cried. Captain Himoto's eyebrows shot up. "He's still alive?" Iroh demanded.

Zhao smiled nastily. " I doubt it. He was washed overboard in the storm, along with the little waterbender peasant."

Both Iroh and Captain Himoto started. Prince Zuko was washed overboard? There was a _waterbender_ with him? Now Iroh understood how Prince Zuko had managed to escape Zhao's battleship in time. The waterbender girl had helped him! And if she had been able to get the two of them off that sinking vessel, perhaps she could have found a way for them to survive being washed overboard. Iroh was filled with hope. He _must_ search for his nephew! However, he needed to convince Captain Himoto to allow him to take Prince Zuko's ship and look for his nephew before Zhao spouted off too much information and got him in trouble...

The former general put a hand on Himoto's shoulder and led her aside. In a quiet voice, he said, "Captain, if my nephew was indeed thrown over with a captive waterbender, there may still be chance he's alive. With your permission, of course, I'd like to take Prince Zuko's ship and search for him."

"Unfortunately, I cannot allow that," Himoto answered slowly. A look of shock crossed Iroh's face. The captain snapped her fingers, and Iroh was grabbed and chained up by her firebenders before he even had time to react.

"Captain!" Iroh cried, "What is the meaning of this?"

Himoto gave him a cold look. "I'm placing you under arrest, general, for the same reasons as Admiral Zhao–-treason and withholding information."

* * *

Boy, I feel sorry for Prince Zuko. Family life must have_ sucked _if he confuses Katara's general niceness/sense of morals with affection. Poor guy. 

Well, lemme know what you thought about this chapter. Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	13. A Captain

Wowwie! _Close Combat_ was recently bestowed the honor of a fanfiction award for "Skilled Combats" by Lala-Ness, a fellow fic-writer and theowner of a very cool Avatar site. Awesome! XD Well, I guess that's _Close Combat_ for you—come for the romance, stay for the action! Thank you, Lala-Ness! (bows)

Not to let down expectations, here's another chapter...also chock-full of action-y goodness!

* * *

Chapter 13: "A Captain" 

Iroh gaped. He had expected that Captain Himoto would fully cooperate and give him Prince Zuko's boat without question—certainly _not_ to be put in the same situation as Zhao! "I am aware that _both_ of you withheld critical information concerning the Avatar and thwarted each other's attempts to capture him in order to preserve your own interests. Such action is inexcusable–even for an admiral and Lord Ozai's brother. People of the Fire Nation should do what is best for their _country_–not for themselves...or their nephews," Himoto's steely gaze rested on Iroh. "You will both be taken to Lord Ozai to explain yourselves...as soon as my men and I secure the Avatar."

Both Iroh and Zhao began to protest, but the captain cut them off with the wave of her hand. "Take the general and the admiral to the prison hold on our ship and put them under special guard. Have the general's men brought aboard here." As if anticipating her mens' concerns, she added, "And do not worry about General Iroh's men trying to use this ship to escape. They are very loyal to him, and so long as we have the general in our keep, his men will follow."

She nodded and her men quickly followed orders. The soldiers flanking Iroh and Zhao led them back up to Himoto's ship. They were met with confused looks from both their crews before roughly being shoved towards the door below deck. Iroh glanced over to see Lieutenant Jee in an heated argument with one of Captain Himoto's officers. As he was led down the stairs, the former general briefly considered resisting arrest and joining his men in an attempt an escape, but knew it was useless. Himoto's crew far outnumbered them, and even if they were to somehow escape with Prince Zuko's ship, it would be little trouble for her to chase them down. He would have to wait for another opportunity.

The prison bars of the brig clanged unsympathetically as he and Zhao's cell doors shut. Iroh sighed. His men were probably already informed of the situation and being held aboard Prince Zuko's ship. Damn. He should not have underestimated Captain Himoto–she had turned out much shrewder and more outstandingly loyal to the Fire Nation than he had given her credit for.

As if picking up on Iroh's thoughts, Zhao sneered from his cell, "Well, it appears the Dragon of the West once again proves he is not as clever as he likes to _think_ he is..."

Iroh ignored Zhao's baiting and stayed silent. If worse came to worse, and the opportunity to escape arose, he just might have to enlist Zhao's aid to break out of here. Although, quite frankly, he would much rather leave Zhao to face Ozai...

* * *

Himoto scrutinized the maps in front of her. _There_. A small island not far from here. From what she had gathered from her interrogation of Admiral Zhao's crew (General Iroh's had simply refused to talk), the Avatar's animal guide was wounded. This was the closest island in the vicinity and the only one the wounded beast could have flown to while the storm was still raging. 

Satisfied, she commanded her men to steer the ship towards the island. When its dark outline became visible in the telescope of her ship, she gave the order to stop. "Captain," one of her officers asked, "Shall we advance on smaller boats?"

"No," she replied, "The storm is passing, but the weather is still unfavorable. The Avatar isn't going anywhere with his animal wounded. We'll bide our time until the weather clears and the Avatar gains a false sense of security. Then we'll advance on the island and ambush him at dawn."

* * *

Katara laid on the floor, staring at the ceiling. She'd had a restless sleep, despite her exhaustion. Her mind ran in circles—she worried about Aang and Sokka and the whole situation they were in. Mostly, however, her mind dwelled on one person in particular. Prince Zuko. 

Katara glanced over at Zuko's back. He had thought she _liked_ him. She had never lead him on or anything...at least, she didn't think so. How did he get an idea like that?

_All those things you did–saving my life and healing me–you did them because you cared? _

Well, of course she cared! She wasn't heartless!

_For me?_

What she had done out of compassion and her sense of morals, Zuko had thought was done out of feelings for him? Katara gave Zuko's back a sympathetic look. What sort of life could he have had to mistake her deeds as affection? She remembered hearing that his own father had banished him. _Not someone who grew up with a lot of love_, she thought sadly.

Katara sighed. She was tired, but her body refused to sleep. Sitting up, she saw weak beams of light peeking through the cracks of the wooden door leading to the deck. The waterbender got up, careful not to make any noise. Well, since she couldn't sleep, she might as well get up. Maybe she could enjoy the sunrise. As she headed for the door, something of interest caught her eye. A piece of torn sail lying stashed in the corner of the room. Katara picked it up and inspected it. Not exactly soft, but it would make a good blanket for keeping warm. Making certain to stay as quiet as possible, Katara crept over to Zuko. She peered down to his face for a moment, unable to discern any expression because his glaring red scar. With a soft sigh, she gently placed the blanket over him and stepped up on deck.

* * *

Zuko laid on the floor, drifting someplace between sleeping and waking. His arm hurt from being slept on so long and he half-heartedly rolled over. The movement caused the sore spots on his body to ache, and their complaints brought Zuko completely out of his slumber. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around the room. In the dim light he could make out the ship's clutter, but couldn't find Katara anywhere. She had gone! 

The prince sat up quickly and noticed something he had missed earlier while his mind was still under the fog of sleep—he'd been covered in some makeshift blanket. Zuko gripped the corse fabric in a fist and grit his teeth. _First, she says she doesn't care, and then she does something like this!_ He threw off the blanket angrily and rose to his feet. The prince quickly snatched his armor and latched it on.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Zuko stepped on deck. He found Katara sitting in the middle of the deck, looking up at the cloudless twilight sky. Zuko gave a small breath of relief. For a moment, he thought she might have run off. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Katara jumped at the sound of his voice. "G-good morning," she choked, "You startled me!"

"What are you doing?" he repeated.

"I...had a hard time sleeping...so I came up here..."

A long silence.

"Um, listen," Katara began tentatively, "About yesterday..."

Zuko inwardly grimaced. Did she really have to bring _that_ up? First thing in the morning? "There's nothing to talk about," he said shortly.

"But—"

Zuko turned and headed for the boat's wheel. "_Drop it_," he hissed, offering no argument. "Go get the engine started."

Katara shot him a irritated look. What was with the attitude? She just wanted toclear things up! With a sigh, she went below deck and prodded the small engine's fires to life. From above, she heard Zuko's agitated voice shout, "_Hey! _Get up here _now!_" Katara shut the engine door with a bang. Was he going to be barking out orders like that all day? She marched upstairs and headed toward Zuko, ready to give him a piece of her mind. When she caught his intense stare out to sea, she followed his gaze out the narrow opening of the cove.

There, off in the distance and closing in fast, was a Fire Nation ship! And not only one ship—Zuko's ship was traveling _with_ it!

* * *

"Captain," the soldier called, "the boats are ready. Your orders?" 

"Take the boats into that small cove. We'll keep them there while we split up and search for the Avatar."

"Yes, Captain."

* * *

Zuko and Katara watched as several smaller boats disengaged from the larger ship. 

"Don't they ever give up?" Katara cried, exasperated.

"How did Zhao manage to get help?" Zuko wondered aloud.

"Well, however he did, Zhao's help is heading straight for us!"

"They're probably looking to dock in the cove. We have to abandon the boat and get on land–there's no way we can get out of this cove without being spotted."

"Then what?"

Zuko tossed Katara a harpoon as he secured his spying glass and knife onto his belt. "One thing at a time," he responded. Taking the ship's wheel, Zuko drove the boat right onto the shore of the cove, beaching it.

They rolled the rope ladder over the side of the ship and climbed off. Zuko ran to the edge of the wooded area beyond the beach and snapped off a branch. He came back to Katara, and as they both made their way quickly off the beach, Zuko swept the branch back and forth to cover their tracks. When they reached the trees, Zuko disposed of the branch. They swiftly traveled through the wooded area, careful to avoid leaving a trail.

After a short distance, Zuko stopped. "We should hide around here. The soldiers are obviously here to search the island, and when they pass by we might be able to pick up on some information."

"If they're searching for us, where are we going to hide? I'm sure they'll be checking all around!"

"I don't think they're searching for _us_. And we can hide up these trees," Zuko grabbed a low branch and pulled himself up, "I doubt they'll be looking up here. Just be sure not to leave scuff marks on the bark with your shoe—that will give us away." He offered her his hand to help her up, but Katara reached for the branch and pulled herself up. Zuko raised an eyebrow before continuing his climb up the tree, Katara following.

When Zuko was satisfied that they were sufficiently covered by they tree's leaves, he sat himself on a sturdy branch, one hand braced on the trunk of the tree. Katara pulled herself up and sat next to him, gripping the branch to steady herself. They waited a few moments, listening hard. After a few minutes of silence, a slight rustling of bushes could be heard below.

"...boat's engine...still warm...Zuko? Should we...Avatar...later? No...Captain...said that...immediately...doesn't want so many men off ship...while General Iroh...Zhao...in custody..."

Katara strained her ears to hear, repressing a gasp at the mention of Aang. After a while, the faint rustling subsided as the soldiers continued their stealthy search.When they were certain the soldiers were gone, the two of them climbed down the tree.

"Aang and Sokka must be here," Katara cried excitedly, "We have to go find them!"

"No. Listen—my uncle is being held aboard the larger ship with Zhao. My crew must be with them, somewhere. We need to _find_ my uncle and crew and free them."

"We need to find Sokka and Aang! They need our help!"

Zuko gave an impatient snort. "The island is being searched by soldiers, many of them firebenders. They are well rested, well equipped, and outnumber us. If we were to find and aid the Avatar, we would simply be overwhelmed and captured along with him."

"I won't abandon—"

"You_ won't!_" Zuko snapped, voice rising slightly, "If you want to help the Avatar and your brother, then you'll help me free my uncle. With his help and my crew, we can better combat these new soldiers. Running to the Avatar will only get us caught along with him."

Zuko turned and began walking in the direction they had come from. "They found our boat with the engine still hot and mentioned my name, so they know about us and suspect we're here. We'll need to be very careful. Come on." He paused, waiting for Katara to follow. "Let's _go!_"

Katara stood her ground. "You can go try to free your uncle—I'm going to help Aang and Sokka."

Zuko scowled and snarled, "Did you not hear a word I just said? We can help them after we free my uncle! Now, follow me!"

"No! You can do what you want, but I'm—"

Katara was interrupted as Zuko strode up to her and roughly grabbed her wrist. She was uncomfortably reminded of last night's confrontation, and made an attempt to wrench free. Zuko hissed, "We don't have _time_ for your stupidity! I will need assistance, and _you're_ the only option I have! I do not want to see the Avatar captured here anymore than you do. If you want to help _him_, you'll have to help me _first!_"

Katara stopped struggling and thought a moment. "All right," she relented.

Zuko let go of her wrist slowly and turned. "Follow me," he said.

* * *

Sokka blinked blearily as he heard a screeching in his ears. He waved irritably at Momo, who was jumping back and forth between him and Aang. "What is it, boy?" Aang asked, rubbing his eyes. Momo turned and screeched to the left of them. 

Sokka looked out into the woods, eyes trained in the direction of Momo's indication. Nothing but wet trees and broken branches and rocks. "What the hell are you howling at?" Sokka grumbled. By this time, Appa had woken as well, and yawned lazily. "Aw, geez Appa!" Sokka yelped as he hastily crawled out of the range of the bison's breath, "You really need to—" Sokka sentence was cut off as a rope net flew past him.

"What the..?" Sokka cried. From the bushes came forth firebenders, at least a dozen in number. Both boys blinked in shock. Aang reacted first and swept his hand along the ground, picking up wet leaves with his airbending and plastering them to the faces of the approaching soldiers. Sokka took the opportunity to fling his boomerang towards their opponents. His weapon ricocheted off the first soldier's helmet and struck the soldier next to him, knocking the two men off their feet. The boomerang, having ricocheted off the second soldier as well, whizzed back into the water-warrior's hands. Sokka smirked, pleased with himself.

Aang took up the offense immediately after, creating a small tornado that collected debris from the storm and then pelted it at the firebenders. The soldiers, too busy using their bending to keep from being struck or stabbed by the flying debris, failed to notice Appa's movement until too late. With a speed uncanny for such a massive animal, Appa struck the firebenders with a sweep of his enormous tail, sending them flying. "Thanks, Appa!" Aang chirped.

More firebenders, attracted by sound of the fight, quickly arrived to aid their comrades. "Can't we ever get a break from these guys?" Sokka groaned.

"I don't think these are the same guys," Aang called, noticing the fresh armor and lack of Zhao's insignia on them.

"Who cares? They're still firebenders!" Sokka shouted, dealing out a back roundhouse kick to a soldier who attempted to ambush him from behind. Aang nimbly jumped and dodged firebenders attempting to capture him, landing swift blows with his staff where he could. Two of the men grabbed the rope net from before and flung it at Aang. The Avatar, aware from past experiences that airbending did not counter nets very well, slipped his staff in the net's meshing, catching it, and swung it back around to the soldiers. As the soldiers became entangled in their own net, Aang leapt back to put some distance between him and the other firebenders.

"Capture him!" a voice shouted. Aang turned around, confused. The voice sounded...feminine. The Avatar's momentary distraction cost him as he was nearly caught off-guard by several fireballs. He dodged them just in time, parts of his clothes getting singed, only to face another, larger fireball. Aang used his wind power to keep the fireball back, but the force of the impact between the two elements launched him backwards into a tree with a hard _smack_. The world before Aang swam a little and newly arrived firebenders closed in on him. Their advance was stopped as Sokka's boomerang whizzed forward and struck one of the soldiers, knocking him to the ground. The bent blade whirled back into Sokka's hands, and he prepared to throw his boomerang at who appeared to be the leader, judging from the more ornate armor and helmet. He flung his bent blade forward and the leader reached down, grabbing a broken branch from the storm off the ground. The firebender brought the branch forward just as the boomerang was about to strike—the boomerang hit and stuck in the wood. Without a moment's hesitation, the leader threw a fireball at Sokka's feet, causing him to jump. The firebender took the moment of distraction to race forward, branch in hand. Just as Sokka was recovering from the fire-attack, the leader swung the branch around, connecting it with Sokka's skull in a loud _thwack_. Sokka dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks.

Aang, now recovered from his own hit, leapt forward to help his friend, but the leader of the firebenders grabbed Sokka and lit a ball of flame close to his face. "Surrender," the feminine voice commanded, "Or I will kill your friend. We are only interested with you—come with us peacefully, and we will leave your friends here, unharmed." Aang relaxed and allowed the soldiers around him to take him into custody. The leader extinguished her flame and released Sokka. "Bind him and leave him with the wounded animal. Take the Avatar to the boats."

Sokka was quickly bound in ropes and thrown against Appa. The bison bellowed in protest at Aang's capture, but the Avatar spoke, "Stay here, buddy. Watch over Sokka, all right?" Appa moaned in unhappiness, but stayed put. "Take care of yourselves!" Aang cried over his shoulder as he was dragged away.

* * *

Uggh. Damn. His face hurt like hell. Sokka winced and opened his eyes. Appa grunted and nudged him, trying to help rouse the Water Tribe warrior. "Mmph...where's Aang?" Sokka asked, looking around.. The bison gave a dismayed groan in response. Trying to get up, Sokka found it difficult to move. Upon self-inspection, the warrior found himself bound tightly in rope. "Great," he muttered. 

A rustling noise to his right caught Sokka's attention. He saw Momo coming toward him, dragging a branch. "Hey!" Sokka shouted, "Just where have you been, eh? Why don't you try helping out here a little?" It was then that Sokka caught sight of his boomerang, lodged in the wood. "My boomerang!" he exclaimed, nearly falling over, "Pull it out! We can cut the ropes with it!" Momo grabbed the boomerang and attempted to dislodge it, but it was rooted too deeply for the lemur to move. Appa stepped in to help, biting the tip of the boomerang with his teeth and pulling it out easily. "Thanks," Sokka remarked. He rolled over onto his stomach and said, "Momo, take the boomerang and cut these ropes!" The lemur grabbed the boomerang from Appa and hopped onto Sokka's back. His small paws moved the bladed edge of Sokka's boomerang quickly over the rope, severing it. The Water Tribe warrior quickly shrugged off the ropes and stood up.

"Looks like Aang sacrificed himself to get us out of a jam...again," Sokka stated loudly, "Appa, are you well enough to do a little more flying?" The bison grunted in affirmation. "Good. Those firebenders are probably taking him back to their ship. Let's go after them and rescue Aang!"

* * *

I do believe I've set an all-time record for fanfiction—"Most number of characters taken prisoner in single fic"! LOL! Well, hope you've been enjoying it, since we're nearing the end! Ooooh! 


	14. A Climax

Hidy-ho, folks! It took a little while, but I got a big heapin' bowl of Chapter 14 for you. Beta-d and better than ever. Eat up!

* * *

Chapter 14: "The Climax" 

(can you tell I'm running out of C-words, folks?)

Zuko and Katara peered out into the cove from where they crouched in the bushes. Their boat was still beached on shore, while several other boats from the Fire Nation vessel stood in shallow water, their ramps leading down to the beach. No soldiers could be seen.

"Are we going to use one of their boats to sneak aboard?" Katara whispered.

"No," Zuko replied, "That ship will be on sharp lookout. We'd be suspected before we got anywhere close. We're going to use your waterbending instead." He turned to her. "I want you to propel us through the water—like when we escaped Zhao's ship—only this time, do it under the surface, where we won't be seen." Zuko paused, then pointed to the boats resting in the shallow waters of the cove, "But first, push those boats up onto the beach. That will buy us some time while the soldiers here try to get them back into the water. The longer we can delay them, the better chance we have to free my uncle."

Katara nodded. Well, it would at least help Aang and Sokka if they got captured. The waterbender moved her arms back and forth, creating a current in the cove. Small waves began to lap at the shore and slowly the boats started to edge forward. It was difficult moving the boats onto the beach, especially with their ramps still lowered, but within a couple minutes, the boats were pushed all the way up onto where the sand was dry. The two of them quickly made their way to the water and waded in. When they were deep enough, Katara and Zuko embraced, each keeping their eyes averted.

"Take a deep breath," Katara said, indicating she was ready. Zuko took as much air into his lungs as he could hold, and his grip on her tightened unconsciously. Quite suddenly, the prince felt himself sucked underwater with Katara. The waterbender freed one hand and thrust it toward the shore, jettisoning the two out of the narrow mouth of the cove. Katara moved them swiftly through the water, narrowly dodging the crags Zuko had navigated through when they had arrived here last night.

Finally, they reached their destination. Zuko looked up at the shimmering surface far above them, his lungs feeling by then as though they would explode from lack of air. _Remember, Prince Zuko_, he dryly recalled his uncle saying,_ Fire comes from the breath. Air is vital to fueling the flame_. With a final thrust of her hand, Katara propelled them to the sparkling surface, slowing them down just before they broke it as to not create a large splash. Zuko released Katara, gasping loudly, while the waterbender panted slightly, more from exertion than lack of air.

After he had caught his breath, the prince looked up along the side of the vessel. The portholes on the ship seemed impossibly high up from where they treaded in the water. "I don't think my waterbending will be able to support your weight enough to carry you all the way up there," Katara remarked. She paused a moment, thinking. After another moment, she brightened and said, "But I can think of another way!" The waterbender summoned a ball of water from the sea around them and swam up to the side of the ship. She placed the ball of water against the ship's side and blew on it, freezing it to the metal. Katara repeated the process a few times, each ball placed higher than the last, before Zuko realized what she was doing—she was creating a ladder up the side of the ship with ice!

Katara started climbing up the ice-ladder she had made, occasionally pausing to create more foot and handholds as she went. "Hurry up," she called down to him, "You don't want to wait until it melts!" Zuko looked dubious at first, worried that the slick ice would make for easy slipping, but when he tried out the first handhold he found the top of the ice dented inwards, giving him a place to hook his fingers into. Quickly he began to climb, catching up to Katara as she made the last few steps up into the porthole.

Katara fidgeted with the porthole, trying to pry it open. Eventually it gave way, swinging out widely, causing Katara to duck. Peeking in, she found the room empty, much to their luck. She looked down to tell Zuko the news and blanched slightly at the sight of how high up they were. Taking a shaky breath, she informed, "The window's open and no one's inside. Come on!" Katara climbed her way through the porthole, Zuko following after.

Once they were both inside what appeared to be a storage room for the ship, Zuko strode to the door and motioned her beside him. "Follow me, and do exactly as I say, when I say it. Understand?" Katara nodded, too worried to be piqued at his curt orders. Zuko cracked open the door and look up and down the hallway. Empty. Good. He quietly opened the door and stepped out into the passageway, Katara right behind.

The fire prince made his way through the hallways quickly, again displaying his familiarity with his nation's ships. It appeared most of the crew on this vessel were busy elsewhere; only once or twice did the two have to hide from the occasional soldier. When they reached the stairs leading to the brig, however, it was quite a different story. Zuko peered down the steps, able to make out _several_ different voices coming from the brig below. So, whoever was in charge of this ship had put his uncle under _high_ supervision. He wondered where his crew was being held, but after a moment's thought Zuko realized with his uncle in captivity his crew wouldn't _need _to be held—they would comply to just about anything to keep him from harm.

Zuko smirked inwardly. He had managed to help free the Avatar under much stricter security—breaking his uncle out of_ this _prison should be no problem at all.

* * *

"What is this?" Captain Himoto asked aloud as her eyes scanned the shore. Every single boat, which had been resting in shallow waters when they left them, were now far up along the beach, completely out of reach of the water. Himoto looked at the sand. Wet. But it was too quick to be the tide...then what? In a flash, she remembered—Admiral Zhao had mentioned Prince Zuko traveling with a _waterbender._

So, the waterbender was alive. If that was the case, she would also have to assume Prince Zuko was also alive as well. The fishing boat they had come across—that must have been their transport. The boat was still_ here_, however...were the two still on the island? "Keep an eye open. Be ready for an ambush," she warned her men, eying the foliage around them suspiciously. "You," she addressed the Avatar, "Move these ships back into the water."

"I don't know how to waterbend very well..." Aang fibbed quickly.

"Liar," Himoto replied icily, "You know, it is only by your cooperation that your companions stay uninvolved. If you'd prefer, we can go back to retrieve them..."

Aang scowled, but complied. With a large sweep of his arms, the boy brought a large wave water up towards the beached boats, submerging the bottom halves in a rush of water. When the water began to recede back to the ocean, the boats slowly followed, until at last they were back in shallow water again. Himoto's men quickly boarded the boats, many having to wade through a bit of water to reach the ramps. Aang _could _have tilted the boats with the water so the ramps rested on dry land, but the Avatar wasn't exactly feeling accommodating.

Once Himoto had the Avatar secured on the boat she was riding, the captain gave the order to move out.

That was when they heard a great crashing in the trees.

* * *

His uncle had always said, "It is the old tricks that work best." 

Zuko couldn't have agreed more. The prince wasn't quite sure how many soldiers were down there guarding his uncle, but he was certain it was more than he could handle at once, even with Katara's assistance. Instead, he decided to draw them out one at a time, as he had done when aiding the Avatar in his escape from Zhao's prison. He stood braced against the wall, waiting for the first soldier to come up the stairs to investigate the loud stomping and banging noises he had made. Katara crouched hidden around the corner, watchful.

He heard footsteps, along with a gruff, "What's going on up there? What's that racket?" The soldier stepped out into the hallway, oblivious to Zuko's presence. Zuko attacked, bringing his heel up and around to make contact with the man's temple. With a grunt, the soldier's eyes rolled up into their sockets and he collapsed onto the ground. Zuko dragged the unconscious man with some effort down the hall and out of the way. Now he would have to wait until they sent another gaurd up.

Iroh watched as the soldiers pondered over their comrade's delay. Wise with experience, Iroh was already aware that the soldier had been dispatched of, but by who? Clearly someone who was trying to reach him...one of the men? Prince Zuko? Or the Avatar?

"Go check what's going on up there. See why Mika hasn't returned," the chief of the guards said to his subordinate. Iroh almost chuckled at how the soldiers were playing themselves right into a trap.

"I wouldn't do that," Zhao drawled from his cell. Iroh frowned. It appeared Zhao too was aware of what was going on. Why was he interfering? The general caught the admiral's eyes. _I'm not letting you escape so easily,_ they seemed to say, _You're going to go down _with_ me. _"It's obviously a trap. If you're going to go up there, you'd best be prepared for an ambush."

"Yes, quickly, gather your men up to investigate your comrade's disappearance. I'm sure us two dangerous men won't try anything while you are away," Iroh sarcastically added.Zhao narrowed his eyes. The soldiers stood irritated and confused at their captives' helpful advice.

"Take someone with you," the chief decided, and two of the soldiers marched up the stairs, leaving only the two more soldiers left to guard Zhao and Iroh, the chief included. With a smile, Iroh listened to the muffled thumps followed by silence. Zhao groaned irritably from his cell. The chief, after a moment of silence, said, "Sound the alarm." The other remaining soldier went to pull the rope that would ring the alarm bell when he was stopped by a warning blast of fire from Iroh.

The chief immediately placed his palms out, ready to fire on Iroh. "Halt!" he barked.

"Yes," Zhao growled, "that's quite enough." He too brought his palms forward to face Iroh.

"Zhao,"Iroh said in a low voice, "You are already aware from our encounter on the island what sort of firepower I possess. Do you wish to provoke it, with nowhere to hide?"

Zhao laughed nastily, "I'm not going to face Lord Ozai's wrath alone, general, while you trot off a free man with your rescuer, no matter _what_ threats you deliver. Especially since, if it hadn't been for _your_ continual interference, I'd be rolling in fame and fortune right now."

For several moments nobody moved, and a heavy silence filled the room. Iroh, deciding that the guards were the first thing that needed to be taken care of, struck first as he swiftly launched a fireball at the guard closest to the alarm bell. The soldier was easily overwhelmed by the attack and knocked unconscious as he was forcefully thrown into the back wall. Iroh leapt back into his cell to avoid being struck by the remaining soldier's retaliation, and was nearly caught off guard by Zhao's following attack immediately afterward. The general crossed his chest with his forearms to shield himself from Zhao's fireball, the swept his arms down and outwards to extinguish the attack. A stinging pain in Iroh's fingers reminded him of his last fight with the admiral.

Two against one and with little room to move. Iroh hoped his rescuer would have the courtesy of appearing soon, otherwise things might get a little messy.

* * *

Ordinarily, charging at a troop of firebenders, even with the aid of a giant flying bison and a lemur, was suicide. _Ordinarily_, Sokka would have strongly advised against it, to the effect of kicking and screaming...but his friend was in trouble, and it couldn't be helped. And he had a plan. Sort of. 

Sokka squeezed his eyes shut as tree branches and leaves whipped by him. When Appa had finally gained enough altitude to ascend the treetops, the warrior took in the sight below him. A cove, dead ahead, with several boats full of firebenders in its waters. Offshore of the island, Sokka saw a massive Fire Nation ship, accompanied with Prince Zuko's. _Great, _he thought_, as if things weren't bad enough already, we have two Fire Nation ships on our tail! How the hell are we supposed to escape from _that_? Well, first thing's first—I gotta get Aang! _"Okay, Appa," Sokka shouted down to the bison, "You know what to do! Just don't get hurt, okay?" The bison nodded his head in acknowledgment.

Sokka tugged the reins to the side, guiding the bison until the morning sun, which peered over the tops of the trees, was right behind them. "Here we go!"

Aang watched along with Himoto and her firebenders as Appa flew into the rising sun. "They're using the sun as a cover! Prepare to attack! Fire on my signal!" the leader shouted to her men. Squinting, Aang could make out the shadow of Appa's girth as he soared towards them. Eventually the bison became close enough that he blocked out the sun's light from behind, and the Himoto yelled, "FIRE!"

A blaze of fire came from each firebender as they attempted to take Appa down. Sokka tugged sharply on the reins and bison immediately flew upwards, dodging the attacks in a high arc. The Avatar watched as the bison flew over him...

...and_ past_ him.

Huh? What were they doing? Weren't they going to rescue him? Aang's confusion turned to panic as he saw the bison begin to plummet towards an empty part of the cove. From atop Appa's head, one word could be heard from Sokka as he screamed at the top of his lungs...

"_CANNONBALL!_"

* * *

Zuko heard shouts from the bottom of the stairs, soon accompanied by several flashes of orange light. Worried for his uncle, and unable to wait any longer, Zuko signaled to Katara to follow and cautiously descended the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he remained completely unnoticed—his uncle was locked in a furious firefight with a guard and...Zhao! Zuko was surprised to see Zhao in custody. But, there would be time to deal with that in a moment. 

The prince raced forward, landing a kick to the remaining guard, who was about to attempt another attack on his uncle. The soldier stumbled forward until he ran smack into the bars of Iroh's cell. With a speed almost frightening for a man his age, Iroh's arms shot out from the bars of his cage and wrapped around the soldier's neck, pinning him there.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh called, clearly overjoyed to see his nephew, "I see you are doing well. Excellent timing!"

"Uncle..." Zuko spoke, emotions coming through despite his best efforts to hide them. He was cut short, however, as he leapt back at the last second to avoid a searing attack from Zhao.

"Zhao...I would advise against that," Iroh warned from his cell, the guard still in his grasp. "You are outnumbered and cornered. And, if I remember correctly," Iroh smiled, "Prince Zuko said he would not hold back the next time you got in his way." Zuko, already in a fighting stance, watched Zhao, waiting to see how the enraged admiral would react. Seething, Zhao stepped down, glaring hatefully at Iroh and Zuko. "Now, Iroh addressed the guard in his grasp, "If you would be so kind as to give my nephew the keys..." The guard took the ring of keys attached to his belt and tossed it to Zuko, who caught it in one hand. The prince casually walked over to his uncle's cell and unlocked the door. Iroh released the guard, who was promptly knocked unconscious with a kick in the head from Zuko.

The general stepped out of his cell and for the first time noticed Katara, standing ready at the bottom of the stairs. "Ah! Hello there! My deepest gratitude to you for helping my nephew," Iroh said with a slight bow. Katara smiled vaguely and nodded, not entirely focused on Iroh. Her eyes stayed locked on Zhao's, which now stared at her malevolently from the shadows of his cell. She could practically_ feel_ the hatred coming off him in waves, as well as a strange mixture fear and her _own_ hate coiling inside her. Sensing the tension, Iroh quickly suggested, "Let us leave. We do not know how long these guards will remain unconscious." He swiftly walked toward the stairs, Zuko following behind. The elderly man gently tried to usher Katara upstairs, but her feet seemed to be made of lead, and she refused to break eye contact with Zhao.

Zuko stepped forward, face carefully neutral, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go," he said quietly, but firmly. Katara finally pulled her eyes away from Zhao, and gave another nod. Satisfied, Iroh briskly made his way up the stairs. Zuko took his hand off her shoulder and followed his uncle, watching Katara from the corner of his eye. Without a backwards glance, Katara began climbing the stairs too, feeling Zhao's eye's boring into the back of her until she was out of his sight.

* * *

"Uncle, we have to find a way to stop this ship. We may try to flee on my ship, but this ship is much more powerful, and it will only be a matter of time before it catches up to us. We must shut this ship down, _somehow_, while we still have the element of surprise!" 

"Agreed. But such a large ship and crew...how to go about it?"

"Perhaps if we damaged their engines...?"

"I do not think that will work, Prince Zuko. Those engines are fairly large. If they were unguarded, perhaps we could, but there will be many men down there working, and I do not believe there is anyway we can inflict any major sort of damage before we are restrained and put under arrest again..."

Katara watched as Zuko and Iroh fell into a thoughtful silence. They were hidden in an empty room along one of the lower-level hallways, contemplating on what to do next. She had stayed silent so far, but after being struck with a solution to their problem, she decided to finally speak up.

"What about the cooling room?"

The two firebenders turned and stared at her.

"Uh..." she continued a bit awkwardly, "When Prince Zuko and I were on Admiral Zhao's ship, we came across a room that was used to keep the engines and other parts of the ship cool and running. Maybe, if we get rid of that, their engines will overheat and the ship won't be able to follow."

A long silence filled the room, finally ended with Iroh grinning and exclaiming, "That is most brilliant, young lady! You must have been of _exceptional_ help to my nephew during the last two days!" Katara blushed slightly at the compliment while Zuko shot his uncle an annoyed look. "Yes...and I doubt there will be any people working the cooling room, so we should be able to keep our cover, if we are cautious," Iroh said resolutely.

"Very well. Let's locate the cooling room and shut it down," Zuko decided.

* * *

"_CANNONBALL!_" 

_**BLOOOOSH!**_

Appa plunged into the water of the small cove with an enormous splash. As ten tons of displaced water made its way for the boats, Aang realized what Sokka had intended all along. Unable to do much against so many firebenders, especially with Appa still hurt, Sokka used the bison's girth to create a wave to capsize all the boats in the cove and give Aang the perfect opportunity to make an escape. As everyone gaped, dismayed at the enormous wave coming in to crash upon them, Aang jumped, using his airbending to launch him upwards as high as possible. This, however, did not escape the attentions of Captain Himoto and several of her men, and they fired several fireballs in an attempt to bring him down. Their attempts were made futile as the wave extinguished the fireballs while swallowing all the boats in its path.

Gravity caught up with Aang and he began to fall back down to the cove below, but not before catching a forlorn glance at the two Fire Nation ships off the coast of the island. The Avatar used his wind powers to slow and guide his descent down to where Appa had 'cannonballed'. By the time Aang reached the area, Appa, Sokka, and Momo had all resurfaced. "Guys!" he shouted, touching down on Appa's back, "You're alright! _That was awesome_!"

"Define 'alright' and 'awesome'," Sokka said irritably, still gripping the reins with white knuckles. Momo clung to Sokka, squawking and fussing, deeply upset with his soaking wet fur. Appa grumbled lowly, making bubbles in the water. Yelling could be heard from the soldiers flailing in the water beside their capsized ships. "Umm...maybe we should get going..." Sokka said.

Aang nodded, then paused. "What about those two ships?"

Sokka gave the reins a shake, and Appa unsteadily lifted himself out of the water. "We run," he said darkly, "and pray they don't follow."

"I saw a fishing boat back in the cove. Do you think that was Katara?"

Sokka sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I don't know, Aang, I really don't know. Either way, I don't see how we can possibly search for her right now, with the Fire Nation right on our ass. Seems to be the story of our lives right now, doesn't it? I really_ hate_ this," he muttered, frustration laced throughout his voice.

Aang sighed as well. He knew how Sokka felt.

* * *

Iroh pointed to a large door at the end of the hallway. "That should be the coolant room," he spoke quietly, more for Katara's information than anything else. Judging from the vibrations coming up from the floor, Katara figured they must be right over the engine room. Yes, this was definitely the place they were looking for. So far they had managed to avoid bumping into any soldiers on their way here. Now, if they could just destroy the coolant room and get off the ship with that same sort of luck, they would be home free. But Katara doubted it would be so easy. 

Zuko stepped forward to open the hatch, his uncle seemingly content to sit back and let his nephew do the work. The hatch turned with a slight groan and Zuko pushed the door open, motioning Iroh and Katara to follow. A blast of cold air greeted them as the three stepped inside. Just as in Zhao's ship, this coolant room was filled with blocks upon blocks of ice, leaving the air inside freezing cold. A complex series of interlocking cogs and swinging pendulums whirled the blades of the fans that stood before the innumerable vent shaft entrances, pumping the icy air to where it was needed.

Shutting the door behind them, Iroh sighed, his breath coming out in a steamy puff. "Shall we then?" he asked.

Zuko smirked, "Yes." As he assumed a firebending stance, he warned Katara, "Stand back. Things will get hot."

His uncle chuckled and went into a similar stance. The two, in nearly synchronized movements, pressed the heels of their palms together and thrust their hands forward. Almost instantaneously, the room was set ablaze and Katara jumped back with a yelp. She shut her eyes, the intensity of the flames too much for her to take. The ice quickly melted away into a watery slush and flooded the floor of the room. "This should take care of it," Iroh smiled, pleased, "Now, it shouldn't be too long before our presence is made known, so I recommend a hasty retreat." Zuko nodded in agreement.

They exited the room, Katara using her waterbending to make sure the slush wouldn't spill into the hallway to alert any passers-by, and closed the door. The three stealthily made their way through the halls and back to the room Zuko and Katara had originally entered the ship from. "Wow...I'm surprised we haven't met up with more guards. There's hardly been any..." Katara spoke aloud.

"Probably because most of them are either still after the Avatar or are preparing the ship for his arrival..." Zuko replied grimly. Katara bit her lip in worry.

"Do not worry," Iroh smiled consolingly, "The Avatar is quite wily. My nephew can attest to that."

Zuko ignored his uncle and looked out the porthole. "It's a long drop..."

"I'll go first," Katara volunteered, scooting past Zuko and climbing into the porthole. Before the prince could say anything, the waterbender pushed off. Alarmed, Zuko immediately stuck his head out the porthole, watching her fall into the water below with hardly a splash. He let out a small breath when he saw her bob back up to the surface, unharmed. Pulling his head back into the room he caught his uncle with a small smile on his face.

"What?" Zuko frowned.

"Nothing. Am I going next?"

"Can you _fit_?"

Iroh gave him a sour look. "I can manage," he said.

The retired general peered out the window and waved to Katara, signaling he was about to come down. He then climbed into the window, rather awkwardly, sticking his legs out the porthole. Sucking in his breath a little, he squeezed through, falling towards the spot where Katara had been before. When Zuko saw his uncle come back up to the surface and wave, Zuko waved back and sat himself in the porthole. With a deep breath, Zuko pushed off. The feeling of weightlessness was both thrilling and terrifying as he fell down into the water below. Some of the breath was knocked out of the prince as he felt the cold, sudden impact of the ocean water. He swam his way to the surface above him, breaking it with a loud gasp.

"That was quite a..._refreshing dip_, wasn't it?" Iroh joked. Zuko didn't see the humor—he had had quite enough water these past few days. "So, what now?" his uncle asked.

"I'll take you to your ship," Katara answered, though she looked dubious about carrying both Iroh and Zuko. "Prince Zuko's ship was on the other side of this one, so the quickest way would be to travel underneath. Hold onto my hands and I'll take you there." Iroh and Zuko looked a little wary, but both did as told. "Take a deep breath," she said before the three dipped below the surface. Katara swam downwards, dragging the general and the prince behind her, using her waterbending to help speed them along. Above them the iron bulk of the ship nearly blocked out all light. At long last, they made it to the other side and Katara began to bring them up. Upon reaching the surface Iroh and Zuko sputtered for breath while Katara remained for the most part unruffled. "Ah...what are we going to do now?" she asked the two.

After catching his breath, Iroh said with a grin, "Spark a little mutiny."

* * *

Lieutenant Jee glared out across deck. If his looks could kill, none of Captain What's-Her-Face's men watching over their ship would be standing at the moment. But...as long as they had General Iroh in custody there was nothing he could do._ Dammit. _And right when they needed the general the most. The Avatar was about to be caught and they_ still _had no idea where Prince Zuko was. The Lieutenant resisted the urge to slam his fist against the ship railing he leaned on. 

He continued his glaring, frustrated like many of the men at their helpless situation. When he heard shouting he first thought it was one of his crew mates giving the dogs running this ship some crap. After a moment, he realized it was coming from below. Glancing around, Jee tried to locate the sound. Finally, he found it—three people treading in the water—two of them Prince Zuko and General Iroh! Careful to conceal his excitement, he quietly strolled about, informing everyone he came across of what he had found.

"Do you hear that?" one of the captain's men asked, "Who's shouting?"

"That's about the least of your worries at this moment," Jee called to the soldier with a wicked grin.

"You'd better watch yourself, or your precious general—HEY!" the soldier was cut off as he and his comrades were quickly grabbed and bound. By that time, the entire crew on deck was aware of Zuko and Iroh's appearance.

"Quick, throw Prince Zuko and the general a ladder!" Lieutenant Jee barked, "And throw these scumbags overboard!" The crew roared with delight and went to work. Once their bedraggled leaders and the girl accompanying them had been brought aboard, Himoto's men were merrily dispatched of. Celebrating, the crew gathered around Zuko and Iroh.

"Prince Zuko! General Iroh! How did you get here?" Jee asked, trying to get his question in over the noise of the crew.

"A long story," Iroh sighed, "But we will concern ourselves with those details later. We need to leave immediately."

"What about_ them_?" One of the soldiers nodded to the other ship.

Zuko smirked. "They will not be a problem. Start the ship."

"The Avatar was last seen fleeing the island. What shall we do about him?" another soldier asked.

Zuko narrowed his eyes, "Follow him. We cannot let him escape."

* * *

Bless Zuko and his one-track mind. (sweatdrop) 

Well, next chapter it the last! Let's hope I can pull off a good one for the finale!


	15. A Conclusion

Okay, MAJOR apologies for the delay. Life happens and laptops die sometimes, you know? Well, anyhow…

First, some notes: Chapter 14 has been betaed and updated, INCLUDING a changed ending to the chapter (Zuko-Captures-Katara Blackhole: "You can't escape me forever!"). I had some serious pacing issues for this chapter ("Okay…either I'll have to tack on another chapter, or this one's going to be a bazillion pages long. How will I make this all FIIIIIIT!"), but now that I've resolved them, I was able to go back and change chapter 14 to make things flow smoother. A major improvement, I'd say.

Yeah, okay, I'll shut up and let you read the final chapter now. :X

* * *

Chapter 15: A Conclusion 

"Follow him. We cannot let him escape."

Katara gaped in alarm. He was _still_ going after Aang? After all _this_?

"Prince Zuko," Iroh intoned seriously, "The crew is tired. And we are still in hostile waters. Perhaps it would be wise simply to let the Avatar go and leave while we can."

"_No_," Zuko said firmly, "I didn't come through all this just to _give up_! And now's the perfect opportunity! He's tired, his animal is wounded, and we have…" Zuko's eyes flickered in Katara's direction.

Katara flooded with anger. She had known things would eventually come to this; that the minute Zuko saw the first opportunity to go after Aang, he would. And worse still, that he would use _her_ to do it. Katara _knew_ that this would happen---yet she still couldn't help but feel betrayed. The girl quickly shoved her feelings aside. She should have known better than to put that much faith in Zuko anyway.

While Iroh continued pleading with his nephew, Katara made a discreet look around deck. Zuko's crew was everywhere, but they were more concerned with what their leaders had to say than her. If she could run to the edge of the deck and jump off, she could use her waterbending to get away…hopefully. And then she could somehow find a way to meet up with Aang and Sokka.

There were only one or two soldiers to her back left. She could make it to the railing, if she surprised them and ran now. Katara's heart sped up. The waterbender took a small step back, waiting for the right moment. When Zuko made a particularly heated point against his uncle, Katara turned and ran as fast as she could for the deck railing. She had been a mere ten feet from the railing when a fiery blast flew past her from the right, causing her to veer and lose momentum. The split second delay was all that was needed for one of Zuko's men to apprehend her. Before she knew it, she was right back where she had started, only now restrained by two of Zuko's firebenders. Katara could see from Zuko's smoking hand that he had been the one who had fired the shot. The prince regarded her silently.

"I'm not going to let you use me as bait," she snarled, futilely struggling against the powerful soldiers that held her.

"I don't think you have a choice. And seeing as you've decided to be uncooperative, I'll be forced to place you in the brig."

"You can't _do_ this! I saved your life!"

"I had thought you had done all that out of _kindness_, not out of expectance to be repaid." Zuko snapped. Katara noticed a tinge of bitterness in his voice. "If keeping score is what's important to you, keep in mind I've also saved your life many times in return. I'm under no _obligation_ to you. Especially since you were aware of my intent to capture the Avatar all along."

Katara glared at him, hurt and frustration in her eyes. She should have never agreed to help Zuko free his crew and uncle.

Zuko ignored the look and ordered, "Take the girl down to the brig for safekeeping. Get this ship moving immediately."

Katara closed her eyes and swallowed back the burning sensation in her throat as she was led below.

* * *

Captain Himoto stormed up the ramp to her ship, the only sign of her anger being how tightly her lips were pressed together. 

Their attempt to capture the Avatar had been a complete failure. Not only had the boy and his companion managed to escape, but all the boats in the cove had been capsized, trapping her men and her on the island. Thankfully, the crew that remained on the ship had seen part of the enormous splash created by the Avatar's animal guide, and had sent reinforcements to help. The Avatar had already escaped by that time, of course, but at least the reinforcements had been able to return her and her bedraggled men to the ship before too much time had been lost.

Unfortunately, it was on her way back to her ship that Himoto was struck with more bad news.

Prince Zuko's ship was leaving.

The moment Captain Himoto stepped on deck, she demanded to know why the ship was permitted to leave. It was then she was informed that Prince Zuko and a girl had rescued General Iroh from her brig. Captain Himoto pursed her lips. She was growing quite tired of setbacks.

"After them! They have but a small lead---we can overtake their ship easily!" she commanded.

Her orders were carried out immediately, and it wasn't long before Prince Zuko's ship was back in her sights, the gap between them growing ever smaller. The captain noticed an excess of smoke coming from the engine room's plume just as one of her men approached her, panting and sweating at the brow.

"Captain! I've just come from the engine room. The entire set of engines are becoming overheated!" the soldier spoke.

"_Why_?" Himoto demanded.

"We're investigating that now—" the soldier answered, only to be cut off as Himoto strode past him on her way to the engine room.

When the captain reached the engine room, she noticed the normally heated air was sweltering. "What has happened?" she asked the engineer in charge of the room.

"Captain, we just received word from several soldiers who went to check on the cooling room. It's been completely destroyed."

Himoto pursed her lips even further. General Iroh certainly lived up to his reputation—he was a very clever man indeed. He had managed to come up with a very ingenious way to cripple her ship.

"Captain?" one of the soldiers interrupted her thoughts, "Prince Zuko's ship is not terribly far ahead. We can still catch him, if we push the ship a little farther…"

Himoto thought a moment. In all likelihood, they _could_ catch up to Prince Zuko before the engines overheated. But, if the engines did overheat before she caught them, that could cause permanent damage to the ship—not to mention that the crew who operated the blistering hot equipment could be severely harmed. Himoto sighed. She would not endanger her ship or her men. The risk simply wasn't worth it.

"No. Stop the engines and let them cool. Send up a flare to alert any ships to this area. We'll direct them towards Prince Zuko's ship when and if they arrive."

The engineer nodded and relayed the message. Captain Himoto's lips were pressed to a thin line at this point. It seemed as though fate were conspiring against her. Hopefully, it would be on her side when she made a report to the Fire Lord. She had good reasons to end her chase, but Lord Ozai was not forgiving about failure, even if it meant the safety of ship and crew. Well, she did still have Admiral Zhao. Perhaps, if she was lucky, most of her Lord's wrath would be vented on him.

With another sigh, Captain Himoto wiped her brow and returned to the deck to see off the flare.

* * *

Iroh watched the purple flare explode high in the sky. He looked over at Zuko, his nephew's scowling face tinted with the purple light. 

"More ships will be arriving," Iroh stated.

"I know."

"Captain Himoto will send them after us."

"I know."

"Hm. Then you must also know we can still make it to the border before any ships reach here. We have enough time."

"I'm not leaving the Avatar. He is tired and weak. We must capture him now."

"That will eat up too much time. Other ships will surely respond to Captain Himoto's flare and come after us by then."

"It won't matter. I'll have the Avatar in my possession by that time."

"_Possibly_. Even if you do, there's always the chance that he may be taken from you."

Zuko clenched his fists. "That won't happen."

"You are putting everyone at risk, Prince Zuko. Let the Avatar go. Let the girl go." Iroh sighed.

"I'm not letting the girl go!" Zuko snapped, surprising his uncle, "OR the Avatar!"

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said sternly, "Sometimes honor is not worth regaining if it is done dishonorably, and at the risk of others. Return her to the Avatar and let them go. It's the least you can—"

"_Save it_, uncle," Zuko hissed, "I'm going below deck to wash up. Have this ship cleaned and repaired while we trail the Avatar. I'll be back up shortly." And with that, Zuko stomped across the deck to the door leading below.

Iroh sighed heavily.

* * *

"Why'd the other ship stop?" Aang asked, peering over the edge of Appa's saddle with Momo. 

"Dunno," Sokka replied, looking over his shoulder, "But there's a lot of smoke coming out of it. Maybe it's having engine troubles?"

"That'd be nice!" Aang chirped, "One less ship chasing us…we might be able to stop and look around for Katara…"

"I don't know," Sokka said grimly, "We still have Zuko's ship after us, and I don't think we can fly around in circles forever, so—WHOA!"

A blaze of purple light filled the sky. Aang winced as a startled Momo dug his claws into him. "A flare!" Aang cried, squinting against the light.

"_Great_, now more Fire Nation ships will be coming! Just what we need!"

"How are we supposed to look for Katara _now_?"

Sokka frowned for a moment, thinking. "Well, we're not going to be able to find her the with the way things are going…hmm. Zhao still has Zuko's ship, and there's a good possibility he found her after she jumped overboard…"

"You want to ask _Zhao_?" Aang cried incredulously.

"Well, I don't see too many other people we _can_," Sokka grumbled.

"So, you want us to fly down there and _ask_ him? Um, you sure you're not too waterlogged from that dive with Appa?"

"I'm fine," Sokka snorted, "But no, we're not just going to go down there and ask him. We're going to ambush him."

"Ambush?"

"Yeah. Look, Appa can't do too much flying as it is. So, we're going to have to land sooner or later. I don't think we have to worry about the other ship or any new arrivals for a little while, so if we stop on an island, we can be pretty sure it'll only be Zhao coming after us. But, when Zhao and his men _do _come on the island, thinking we're all out of energy, BAM, we'll nail 'em with all these traps we'll set up. Then we can demand Zhao to tell us where Katara is…or else."

"But what if the traps don't work? And what if they don't know where Katara _is_? And what exactly is 'or else'?"

"Hey," Sokka retorted, "I'm just making this up as I go, okay? If you have a better idea than that, I'm all open!"

It was a slim chance. They probably wouldn't be able to set up enough traps in time. But the Avatar couldn't think of a better way to locate his friend. With a new energy, Aang started looking for a good island to land.

* * *

Zuko roughly washed off days worth of grime, scrubbing hard enough to turn his skin pink. He didn't have time for a bath, but he did have time for a fresh change of clothes and a quick scrubbing down with a washcloth. The prince splashed some water onto his face and rubbed, taking off all the dirt that had been previously there. Finished, Zuko looked down into his sink as the water drained away. 

The newfound cleanliness was only of small relief. His mind was too busy elsewhere to appreciate it to any great extent.

Finally. _Finally_. Everything was going _perfect_. He had escaped Zhao and the captain his uncle had traveled with. The Avatar was tired from using his powers so extensively over the past three days. His animal guide was wounded and could only limp along at best. And he had the waterbender girl, whom he could use to lure the exhausted and trapped Avatar into his keep.

All obstacles were gone. Everything was lined up for his capture of the Avatar. He couldn't have asked for a more _perfect_ opportunity than this.

Zuko thought of his father. Of bringing him the Avatar, as he had so often dreamed about before. How his father would take him into his arms, tell him how _proud_ he was that his _son_ had overcome all obstacles to bring him the Avatar, and tell him how _glad_ he was to have him back as his heir.

His right to the throne. His home. His father's acceptance…and affection. He could have it all.

And yet…

_No!_ It was all right there! He could _take it!_ He could have it all back! _Everything!_

But…

_Dammit!_ Zuko angrily slapped his washcloth into the sink. _Why?_ It should be the easiest thing in the world! Hadn't he _earned_ this? _Why_ was it so difficult, then, to take it?

The prince watched a drop of water fall from the faucet into the sink. That damn girl. That _damn girl_. This was her fault!

Why should he feel any guilt about using her to get to the Avatar? She knew right from the beginning that, survival aside, capturing the Avatar was his top priority! It was her own foolishness that landed her in this situation. She had no right to look so betrayed.

_I saved your life!_

So what? He had saved hers as well! A life for an life. They were even. If what she had done was out of genuine caring for him, he could understand why she would feel betrayed. But he—but saving his _life_ had meant _little_ to her. It was an act of kindness and morality, not affection. And it wasn't like he wasn't going to repay her good deeds. He would set her free afterwards, along with her fool brother. And once he was Fire Lord, he would end the war and seek peace with the other nations. He would even help rebuild all the war-torns lands! There was nothing he could do about the Avatar, save ensure that he spent the rest of his days in relative comfort, but in the end, the waterbender girl would see that she had been used to bring about a good end.

Zuko tried to picture her happy with this outcome. However, all he could see was her looking even more miserable—something that made him feel a sympathetic pain for her. She was very loyal in her cause as well. She had shown the same dedication to her loved ones as he did to his nation and his father. Hadn't she fought as hard as he, bled as much as he, during this nightmare trip? Hadn't she too earned what she desired…?

It wouldn't be the end the world if he let her and the Avatar go. He would always have tomorrow. But if he did capture the Avatar…there would be no second chance for her. He could stand to lose the Avatar. She couldn't.

Damn. It didn't matter what her reasons were for helping him. It was like he said—they were _even_. He had no right to oppress his will _over_ her. Not today. Not like this.

He couldn't stand to see that look in her eyes, anyway.

Zuko's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a soft creak from his door. He turned his head to see his uncle standing in the doorway. "Unless it concerns the status of the ship or the position of the Avatar, I don't want to hear it."

"The Avatar was spotted by telescope landing on an island up ahead," his uncle said quietly.

Zuko closed his eyes and let out a breath. "Take us up to the island a little further and stop. We'll advance on my command."

A long silence came from Iroh. "You're truly going to go through with this?" he asked. Zuko didn't answer. "Well?"

"Just do as I say," Zuko said dispassionately as he pulled a clean shirt on.

Iroh studied Zuko for a moment before nodding, "Very well." He exited his nephew's chambers and shut the door softly. His nephew was troubled—that was as plain as day. Perhaps he had a change of heart? Giving up a change to go home would have been something very painful for Zuko. Well, if such was the case…perhaps he ought to tell the guard stationed at the brig that he was needed elsewhere.

* * *

Prince Zuko stalked down the corridors of the lower levels of his ship as stealthily as haste would allow. In one hand he carried a mop. In the other, a half-full bucket of water. He peered around the corner to see the door of the brig. No guard in sight. Zuko was both surprised and relieved. It meant less work and suspicion on his part, though he would have expected better of his crew. Oh well…it would give him someone to scold later. 

Zuko quietly opened the door and stepped inside. Katara sat in her cell on her bed, her head resting on her drawn up knees. So far she hadn't noticed him. The prince quickly put down the mop and bucket and snatched the keys from their hanging place on the wall. He walked over to her cell and unlocked her door. The metallic click of the lock roused Katara, who drowsily lifted her head. Her cheeks were puffy. She had been crying.

No sooner had Zuko stepped into the cell than Katara made a mad dash for the door. He easily caught her by the wrist, only to then become the victim of her anger. She thrashed and struggled and yelled so loudly he was sure one of his men would hear. He shook her slightly to quiet her, but this only seemed to enrage the waterbender even more.

"Let me _go_, you _jerk_!"

"Be quiet."

"_Let me go_!"

"Silence!"

"No! I'm not going to let you use me to get Aang!"

"The Avatar and your brother landed on an island not too far from here," he said flatly. The prince watched the color drain from Katara's face. "If you use your waterbending while swimming," he added slowly, carefully, "You could probably reach them."

Katara blinked at first, utterly confused by what Zuko had said. What did he mean by that? _Reach them?_ The waterbender felt anger build inside her once more. Was Zuko playing with her? Did he think this was _funny_? She was about to shout something at him when she caught his expression. He was serious. Katara reverted back to confusion. What was he _saying_? Zuko slowly let go of her wrists, and finally she understood.

"You…you're letting me go?" she stuttered.

"No," he snorted, "Some _idiot_ left a mop and a bucket full of water down here, and while my crew was busy preparing the boats to follow the Avatar, you used your "frost wedging" to break the prison door and escape off the ship."

Katara stared at him, stunned. "…You're letting me _go_?"

Zuko gave her an annoyed look. "Didn't you hear what I just—"

The prince was cut off as she grabbed his hands and cried ecstatically, "Thank you! Thank you _so much_! You don't know what this _means_ to me!"

_You don't know what this means for _me, Zuko thought darkly. "Sometimes honor is not worth regaining if it is done dishonorably," he muttered gruffly, looking away. His gaze was brought back to Katara as he felt a quick peck on the scarred part of his cheek.

"_Thank you_," she said seriously, her bright blue eyes looking up at his earnestly. Zuko broke the contact, irritated with his sudden irregular pulse.

"Things haven't changed," he said stiffly, "I will capture the Avatar and regain my honor." His expression softened slightly. "Just…don't think so poorly of the Fire Nation anymore. Not _all_ of us are like Zhao," he added quietly.

"I know," she said, smiling softly. Zuko returned a small smile before he could catch himself. He quickly turned and exited the cell, closing and locking the door behind him. The firebender prince took one last glance at Katara before he left the brig, memorizing the image of her face smiling happily at _him_. He closed the door to the brig, uncomfortably surprised at the first thought that went through his mind as it clicked shut.

_I wonder when we'll meet again?_

* * *

Iroh watched as Zuko marched all across the deck, barking orders at his men as they prepared the boats. 

Did he let the girl go? Iroh scrutinized Zuko, trying to discern a clue from his nephew's face. However, the prince gave away nothing. It was only after one of the crewmembers reported, dismayed, that the girl's cell door had been broken and she was nowhere to found that Iroh had his answer. Prince Zuko put on a great show of scolding the men for their incompetence, but Iroh recognized a glint of satisfaction in his nephew's eye that gave him away.

"This is most unfortunate," Iroh interrupted the tirade with a dramatic sigh. "Without the girl, it could take some time to secure the Avatar, which would put us at risk of running into more ships," he continued, "Perhaps _now_ would be a good time to cut our losses and leave?" The general gave his nephew a significant look.

"Very well," Zuko said, feigning reluctance, "Head for the border. Full speed."

The crew, eager to leave after so much turmoil, breathed a sigh of relief and set to work on the new orders.

"I knew you would do the right thing, Prince Zuko," Iroh chuckled to his nephew.

"What thing?" Zuko asked stiffly.

Iroh simply laughed and walked away. Zuko glared after him, wishing his uncle wasn't so perceptive.

* * *

Katara warily walked up the beach of the island, pulling the ocean water from her clothes with her bending powers. This was the island Aang and Sokka were supposed to be on, but she didn't see any signs of anyone being here. Maybe Zuko was lying? Tricking her? Katara shook her head. No. He had meant what he said. She looked over her shoulder to see his ship sailing into the distance. _I wonder when we'll meet again_, she thought, and turned back towards the island. 

Navigating through the trees, Katara looked for any clues to the whereabouts of her brother and friends. Where were they? Had they left? Maybe she should call out to—

_Whish!_

Katara's worries were interrupted as she suddenly found herself suspended upside down from a tree branch.

The waterbender let out a cry of alarm. Straining her neck, Katara looked up to see she was hanging by a vine or something of the sort, which had clearly been laid out as a trap. Swinging from up high, Katara heard a rustling sound coming closer. She looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the noise.

"_KATARA_!"

The waterbender's head turned in the direction of the voice. That sounded like Aang! Sure enough, she saw his bright clothes and tattooed head bounding straight towards her. The Avatar raced to her aid, overjoyed, when—

"Aang! Look out!"

A second later, Aang was hanging upside down beside Katara, grinning ear to ear. "You're alright!" he cried, eyes brimming.

"_Katara!_" Sokka called up to her as he approached, his voice cracking. The waterbender looked down at her sibling. For several moments, a look passed between the brother and sister that said more than words could.

"We're so glad you're alright," Aang hiccupped, tears trailing past his eyebrows and down along his bald head. "We thought you might have…again…" Katara smiled gently and used her weight to swing towards Aang, grabbing him in an upside-down platypus-bear hug. The Avatar clung to her, smiling and hiccupping.

"I'll get you down," Sokka said, taking out his boomerang and flinging it. The bent blade cut through the vines that suspended them, and the two fell to the ground with an "_Oooph_!" Sokka ran over, careful to avoid certain spots on the ground. After helping Aang and Katara up, he pulled the two into an embrace. "_I knew you'd make it_…" he whispered to his sister.

Katara cried.

* * *

Later… 

Admiral Zhao kneeled before the throne of the Fire Lord, trying his hardest not to shake. The fire-screen that separated him from his lord only flickered slightly every few minutes, but Zhao knew better than to be fooled by the seeming calm.

Lord Ozai was not pleased.

It had been but a day since he arrived at the capital's palace with Captain Himoto. The flare she had sent out did eventually attract ships, but by the time they got there, both Prince Zuko and the Avatar were long gone. After her ship had been towed to a dock for repairs, word had gotten out about what had happened, and the two of them had been sent to the Fire Lord for an explanation.

It was a moment Zhao had been dreading.

After finishing reading the report, Ozai spoke. "One sunken battleship. Dozens of soldiers killed. Several other ships damaged. My son _brought_ to the Fire Nation and _allowed_ to trespass against his banishment. And _no_ Avatar to show for _any _of it. _Explain_," he demanded.

"My lord," Zhao began, silently damning the quaver in his voice, "Had things gone according to my plan, you would be celebrating the capture of the Avatar, not reading a report on its failure."

"_Your_ failure," Ozai corrected acidly.

"My lord," Zhao began again, "If not for the interference of General Iroh, Prince Zuko, and Captain Himoto, the Avatar would be in your grasp…" Zhao knew shifting the blame was not something Ozai responded positively to, but at this point, he was desperate.

"Admiral," Lord Ozai spoke, "The reason you were promoted so swiftly to that rank was to _hasten_ the capture of the Avatar. Tell me, what am I supposed to do when the one whom I have given such innumerable resources to _fails_ to complete his assigned task…?"

"Lord, you know my dedication to the Fire Nation—to _you_—is absolute. You can see by my records how I have _strived_ to serve the advancement of our nation. I would not be here today, reporting failure, unless my _very best_ efforts had been bested. And for that, you can hold responsible the treachery of your brother and son, along with the incompetence of Captain Himoto."

"Captain Himoto will be dealt with accordingly," Ozai said darkly, "As for my family members, I am well aware of their shifting loyalties. Their interference in the Avatar's capture during the Winter Solstice is proof enough of that. But I am not concerned about _them_. I am concerned about _you_. What use do I have for you if you cannot overcome these obstacles? At your, as you claim, 'very best'?"

Zhao swallowed. "My failure this time has only steeled my resolve even further, my lord. The mistakes I have made will not be repeated, I assure you. The next time the Avatar and I meet, I _will_ bring him to you—no matter _who_ or _what_ stands in my way."

A deathly silence filled the room. Zhao remained frozen in a kneeling position, eyes locked on the floor. Finally, Ozai spoke. "Very well. Be aware, however, that I do not accept repeated failures. I expect all the tenacity you have shown in the past regarding the capture of the Avatar, and _none of the mistakes_. Understood?

"Yes, my lord," Zhao breathed.

"Then go."

"Thank you, my lord," Zhao whispered, and quickly rose and left the throne room. Zhao let out an enormous breath once he reached the halls of the palace, relieved beyond all belief that he had _survived_ the encounter with Lord Ozai.

So relieved was Zhao he did not notice Princess Zula until she was walking astride with him. "I trust things went _well_?" she asked, a little cat smile playing on her face.

Zhao looked over at her. "Princess…" the admiral began, surprised by her sudden appearance. "What are you…" Zhao trailed off. In a moment, he realized why Lord Ozai had been so uncharacteristically lenient. "…You spoke on my behalf?" he asked.

The princess shrugged casually. "I might have _insinuated_ a few things in your favor when I spoke with him…"

Zhao raised his eyebrows in surprise. Lord Ozai typically didn't bother with the opinions of his children, save those that went against him, but apparently the princess's words were enough to sway him into being more forgiving of Zhao's failure. A saving grace for him, to say the least. Still… "Why did you help me, Princess?" Zhao asked cautiously.

The princess gave another of her little cat smiles. "Knowing your…_dedication_…my father promoted you to admiral in order to speed up the Avatar's capture. However, you provide another service I find to be even more valuable," Zula explained smoothly, "You help keep my brother from regaining his right to the throne, leaving _me_ first in line for rule. So long as you keep him from returning home, as far as _I'm_ concerned, you're still of _use_." Zhao frowned slightly at the condescending praise. "Besides," Zula added, looking up at him through her long lashes, "The army _needs _more men like you…"

Princess Zula's meaning was not lost on Zhao. He looked down at her from the corner of his eyes, meeting the girl's coy gaze. Her yellow eyes glittered with want, envy, frustration, hate, fear, and cruelty. Not at all clear and pure like…

"Well," the admiral replied with a cough, "I thank you for your kindness, princess."

"I hope it will not soon be forgotten," she said with a smile. Zhao hid a scowl behind a mask of neutrality. Did she expect him to repay the favor? He certainly didn't want to play into the princess's hand…but then again, it would be unwise to displease her after she had most likely saved his life.

"Of course not," he replied cordially. She stuck out her hand at him, waiting expectantly. The admiral reluctantly placed his lips lightly on her hand, then made a hasty bow and exit. The princess watched his departure with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"Hmm…"

* * *

Katara sat, leaned up against a tree, enjoying the heat from the campfire and quiet of the night. They had managed to make it out of the Fire Nation a couple days ago by island-hopping during the night, and were now in safer territory. The waterbender took the more peaceful time to recuperate from her adventure with Zuko. 

Aang was asleep, nestled in his sleeping bag with Momo. Katara smiled at his sleeping face, though, to be truthful, she was a little glad to get away from him for a while. The Avatar had practically become her fifth limb over the past few days. Sokka knew Katara well enough to give her room, though some of his questions had put her in an awkward spot. Mostly ones concerning what had happened with Zuko. She had told pretty much the whole truth on the matter…excluding some of the more heated confrontations she had had with the firebender prince.

When Sokka asked her how she escaped, Katara had been unsure how to answer. Would they believe her if she had said Zuko had, essentially, let her go? Aang might, but she doubted Sokka would. So all she had said was, "I used frost-wedging to break the door." Sokka had sagely nodded, as if he had expected exactly as much.

Katara stared at the campfire in front of her. Despite the fact that she had been continually chased and nearly put to death by firebenders during that three day ordeal…she couldn't help but feel her opinion change about them. The Fire Nation _did_ have more than its fair share of terrible people, like Zhao…but the more firebenders she met, the less evil they seemed. Things certainly weren't as black and white as they used to be…

Zuko was probably the biggest contributor to that. She had met other firebenders that she felt weren't evil…Zuko's uncle, Jeong Jeong, Shiyu. Come to think of it, Avatar Roku had been a firebender too. Still, traveling with Zuko for three days, fighting side by side, had a greater impact on her so far than all the others put together. Sure, Zuko was no picnic, but he did have good qualities that made him admirable. Katara wondered what it would be like if the Fire Nation was ruled by him. That didn't sound so bad to her, actually. He would probably make a great Fire Lord. _He's certainly good at bossing other people around_, she thought with a dry smile. She hoped he would find a way to get back his right to the throne. One that didn't involve capturing Aang.

Katara glanced back at the sleeping Avatar. Her friend, whom she would fight to protect. They were going to have to face Zuko in the future…Katara wondered how things would be then…

Footsteps brought Katara out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Sokka stepping into their campsite. "Whew, I really had to go," he said lightly. Catching Katara's pensive expression, he asked, "What's up?"

"Hm? Nothing. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The future."

Sokka gave her a sympathetic, lopsided smile. "Just don't forget to take things one day at a time too, okay?" Katara nodded. "I love you, you know." Sokka said, looking at her over the fire.

"I know. I love you too, Sokka."

"I missed you. Aang too. It's really nice to have you back."

Katara nodded again, smiling.

"Cause now I don't have to cook anymore….OW!"

* * *

Zuko breathed in and out evenly, the flame lighting the candles before him shrinking and growing with each breath. It was nice to finally have time for meditation, now that he and his crew had managed to flee from his hostile homeland. It was hard to leave his native country after being so close to regaining his right to it…yet strangely he wasn't saddened or embittered by it. He had done the right thing. And there would be another time to continue his chase of the Avatar…and see the girl again. The candles before Zuko flickered. 

Zuko heard a knock on his door, and with a final exhalation, finished his meditation. "Enter," he commanded. His uncle stepped inside.

"Prince Zuko, evening draws near. The cook wishes to know what you would like to eat. We have recently restocked on pork and fish…which would you care for?"

"Fish," Zuko answered simply.

"An excellent choice," Iroh said jovially, "I hear the cook has a new recipe for fish. A type of ginger-glazed dish. I am dying to taste it…"

"Uncle."

"Yes."

"I'll skip the ginger-glazed fish. I'd like to try my fish…raw."

THE END (for real this time)

* * *

Huzzah! It's finally over! Did you all enjoy Close Combat? 

Audience: Fifteen chapters and only one quick kiss on the cheek? You stingy wench!

Hey! I_ said_ it was a quasi-romance!

Audience: There was more Aang/Katara and Zhao/Zula in this fic than any Zutara!

NO COMMENT.

Audience: Well, do you at least like Zutara more now?

I'm still reluctant.

Audience: Come on. You know you like it…

Noooo…. (sweatdrop)

Audience: Uh-huuuuuh…

Noooooooo…(locks secret inner Zutara fangirl in closet) Shh!

Well, thank you all for reading my fanfic. Special thanks to all my reviewers, who encourage my deranged writing! And super-duper gold-sticker thanks to my betaer, Whomever, as well as all those reviewers who pointed out little glitches here and there in CC—you guys keep me on my toes!

Well, thanks again! So long, folks!

(and no, there will not be a sequel, so don't even ask! DX)


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